Football club waives fees for children living in direct provision

A Cork football club has waived registration fees for asylum seekers as a fundraising drive gets under way to cover the costs of providing sporting outlets for children living in direct provision.

Ashbourne House in Glounthaune is one of six direct provision centres in Cork, and 14 of the children currently residing at the centre are playing with local side Leeside AFC. It has voted to help the children to continue playing with the club in light of increasing fees for player registration.

While children from Ashbourne House have been playing with the Little Island club for the past four years, Leeside AFC secretary Barry Cotter explained that a problem arose this season when a number of the players graduated from the academy level for five to 10-year-olds to the Cork Schoolboys League, where there are higher registration costs due to insurance charges and affiliation fees.

The prohibitive costs were highlighted by RTÉ journalist Brian O’Connell, who subsequently contacted the club on behalf of a group of people who had put together a fund to pay the fees.

However, the club’s committee met on Monday night and took the decision to waive the fees for children in direct provision.

“To ask for any money would be tough on them, all we want to do is get people out playing soccer,” Mr Cotter said.

Fair play to @leesideafc for agreeing to waiver club registration fees for children in #directprovision in Glounthane.

— Brian O'Connell (@oconnellbrian) September 11, 2014

While Mr O’Connell’s initial campaign has seen boots donated to the 14 asylum seekers playing for Leeside, the Children’s Rights Alliance has now started a fundraising campaign to provide club registration, sports clothing, and equipment for children living in direct provision across the country.

“Every child has the right to play. Children in direct provision are rarely given the opportunity to be ‘children’,” a spokesperson for the Children’s Rights Alliance said.

“Ordinary members of the public were struck by news stories depicting the lives of these children and how they have little or no access to sport and they decided to make a difference, approaching the Children’s Rights Alliance for help.

“The campaign is raising money to cover registration fees for sports clubs and provide equipment for boys and girls growing up in direct provision.

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