Events

Leyton Orient tournament helps pupils celebrate an England for everyone

British Future, Leyton Orient Community Trust and the Office of Calvin Bailey MP came together on Tuesday 23 June 2026 for an England United-themed primary schools football tournament, bringing local pupils together to celebrate football, identity and belonging.

Hosted at the Score Centre  and set up/ officiated by Leyton Orient Trust opposite Leyton Orient’s ground, the event welcomed around 40 pupils from six primary schools across the area for a 6-a-side tournament alongside pitch-side workshops exploring inclusive identity and the diversity of the England team.

The day used football as a way into bigger conversations about who we are, where we come from and what it means to support an England team that reflects the country today. Pupils discussed the different backgrounds, family stories and roots of England players, thinking about how football can bring people together across communities.

British Future staff delivered short pitch-side workshops with pupils between games, linking the tournament to British Future’s England United work and encouraging young people to think about pride, belonging and shared identity in an open and positive way. Calvin Bailey MP also sent a special video message for the event, welcoming pupils and highlighting the importance of celebrating diversity, teamwork and community through football.

The tournament showed how sport can create space for thoughtful conversations with young people in a way that feels natural, energetic and fun. It also demonstrated the value of local partnerships between schools, football trusts, MPs and organisations like British Future in helping pupils explore what inclusive Englishness can look like in practice. This event builds on British Future’s successful partnerships with football clubs and community trusts, using the power of the game to bring people together around shared stories and common values. We look forward to carrying on the conversation around inclusive Englishness with more clubs, schools and communities in the future.