#opencollegenetwork

[londonfootballjourneys]

I want London to be a city where we don’t just live side-by-side, but mix and forge relationships as friends. #VisitMyMosque

— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) February 4, 2017

Hi there,

As world politics dominates our news, it provides an easy reminder that we should stay focussed on our vision, 'to rid the world of prejudice and cultural misconception'.

The above tweet from Sadiq Khan was promoting Visit My Mosque day, an annual campaign to open our doors and welcome our neighbours which we felt was rather poignant given the current climate. Be sure to check out our blog over the next couple of weeks as we will be taking a deeper look into the issues we are facing, and what we can do to make a difference.

We also have one piece of fantastic news to share with you. LFJ has been awarded funding from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. We are very proud to have been successful in our application which will support our programme and Ambassador offer over the next three years.

The LFJ Team

                            Things We Are Looking Forward To                                                  -------- Bringing together old and new Ambassadors at the offices of the Football Association looking at feeding youth-led ideas into the LFJ programme and exploring exciting options for Ambassadors to build on their skills.                                                    ---- Wrapping up and celebrating the completion of the programme at Hatch End High School and Deptford Green School.                                                    ---- Getting a new programme underway in the boroughs of Barnet and Brent.                                                    ---- New partnerships that look to strengthen our ties with the FA, build in support for our future participants, and to further raise the profile of London Football Journeys.

We spent two days at Highbury Grove School. Firstly we talked through the achievements of all participants and presented their Open College Network qualification. The other was to talk about the upcoming Ambassador opportunities, which we also did with Hatch End High School. We will kick off the Ambassador programme on Monday 13th February at the offices of the FA in Wembley Stadium.  

Last week we spent some time with students at Ark Academy (above) who helped us review a new LFJ resource and brought fresh perspective.  

Then there was Kensington Aldridge Academy, near Latimer Road, who delivered a superbly well-rehearsed presentation on their London Football Journey. Check out our Instagram account for more photos.