Children participating in Qatar Foundation’s Ability Friendly football classes.
Doha: Having a special connection with the children participating in Qatar Foundation’s Ability Friendly football classes, Tom Eastham has become very familiar to the young footballers with different abilities. The minute he walks into the class, they rush toward him in a welcoming circle, smiles filling their faces.
In that moment, the reason he is a volunteer – and why, ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, he is emphasizing the value that volunteers both give and gain – is summed up.
Tom has lived in Qatar for the past four years, working in Qatar’s energy sector. He started his volunteering journey soon after he graduated from university when he took part in an expedition to India organised by Raleigh International, a sustainable development charity that brings young adults from around the world together to support global projects aimed at improving communities in developing nations.
Tom has been involved in UK-based volunteer projects for many years, focusing on projects supporting children and adults with additional needs along with volunteering at a local homeless shelter. “I knew I wanted to try and find similar programs in Qatar,” said Tom. “That’s when I came across QF’s Ability Friendly program”.
“Through signing up as a volunteer to the QF football program I have been able to work with a group of volunteers to encourage, support, and enable children with additional physical and mental needs to partake in football-related skills and games.”
“We work closely with the participants to adapt each session to their needs and moods. Our aim is to make sure at the end of each session, those that have been there come away having enjoyed their time with us. The success of the QF program is centered around giving each member the time, space, and patience to participate and succeed, helping encourage them to push themselves further and gain skills and friendships that they wouldn’t have built otherwise.”
Tom has never found difficulty assessing the value of giving his own time to others. It has become a habit, he says, that helps him keep his feet on the ground and stay conscious of what matters in life.
“Giving my time to others is extremely important for me,” he explains. “It gives me a sense that I am contributing in a small way to improving opportunities for others.”
“It helps me recognise how lucky I am and have been with the family, community, and opportunities I have been presented with across my life. It also reminds me that compassion for others underpins success in a community and wider society.”
“Volunteering taught me the importance of supporting and promoting change to drive equality for everyone in society, regardless of their beliefs, background, or abilities. No matter how big or small your contribution, showing kindness and compassion for others is without question how we should be as a global community.”
With Qatar’s goal of delivering the most accessible World Cup ever, Tom is in the process of registering to volunteer for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 activities. He says: “I strongly believe that creating access for all will contribute greatly to making the 2022 World Cup a great success that showcases Qatar’s fantastic hospitality to the world.”
“Everyone should be given the opportunity to experience the football and the events that will be going on during the World Cup. I hope it will convey to the world that sports are open to everyone – and that, no matter their ability, there are people to support them in getting involved.”
QF’s D’reesha Performing Arts Festival will take place at Education City from December 11-17, during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, under the theme ‘Travel and Adventure’.
Open to everyone, it will showcase a variety of performances in Arabic and English, from music and poetry to visual arts and theater, with the new D’reesha of Invention and Innovation showcasing scientists, scholars, and researchers from the Arab world. To find out more, visit www.qf.org.qa/dreesha
