FOOTBALL sessions that started as a kick-about are bringing young people from different ethnic backgrounds together.

Wigan Council’s Voice and Engagement Team started holding a kick-about for the young people from the borough’s Kámoši youth group but they have become regular weekly training sessions.

Working closely with WLCT’s Sports Development Unit the sessions at Leigh Sports Village see young people who originally hail from Africa and Eastern Europe joining together for competitive fun and games in a safe environment.

Voice and Engagement Team youth worker Mehmood Ahmed said: “The Kámoši group is for children and young people from various ethnic backgrounds. It gives them the opportunity to meet together and look at some of the issues they share.

“The footballing sessions really did start as a bit of kick-about while we were waiting for the meetings to begin, but they’ve really taken off.

“At first the young people from different backgrounds were a bit wary of each other and there were a few tensions on the pitch but over the weeks they have really come to accept and respect each other and adopt a real team mentality.”

Owolabi ‘Obi’ Oderinde, aged 20 and from Hindley, has been going to the football sessions since they began and as well as being a great chance to meet with others, he now sees it as future career path.

He said: “Through the sessions I have been able to take the first level of coaching qualifications with the FA and this is what I want to do.

“It would be great to coach in the professional game or at any level and I’ll be looking to get more qualifications to help me to do this.

“The sessions have really helped to bring us all closer together and we’ve made some real friends through them. It doesn’t matter where you are from, we all just want to play.”

The sessions are held on a Tuesdays between 6pm and 7pm, for more information visit wbsc.org.uk.