Members of the Manchester United Muslim Supporters’ Club (MUMSC) are preparing to travel to Jordan this Ramadan to take part in a charity football tour with Palestinian refugee communities, combining fundraising, sports, and direct humanitarian support.

The three-day visit, scheduled for late February, will see the group travel to two of Jordan’s largest Palestinian refugee camps, Hyphen Online reported.

During the trip, participants will play friendly football matches, distribute donations, share iftar meals with families, and run coaching sessions for children and orphans.

📚 Read Also: Oldham Runners Complete Year-Long Challenge for Gaza Relief

“We’ve got quite big platforms, so I feel like there is a responsibility on us to do more,” said Asif Mahmud, chair of MUMSC.

The initiative follows a charity friendly match between MUMSC and the Chelsea Muslim Supporters’ Group, which prompted discussions about how football could be used to engage more directly with refugee communities.

With Ramadan approaching, the group sought to build on its previous humanitarian efforts, including a 2025 appeal that supported families in Lebanon.

MUMSC explored options to travel to Syria, Jordan, or Lebanon before deciding on Jordan, where it is partnering with the UK-based charity Action for Humanity.

Helping Refugees

Mahmud said the organization’s established presence and relationships within refugee camps were key factors in the decision. For security reasons, the group has been advised not to publicly identify the camps they will visit.

A total of 17 men are confirmed to take part in the tour. While MUMSC is leading the initiative, participants also include supporters of other football clubs, such as Chelsea and Liverpool.

The group has set an initial fundraising target of £100,000, which Mahmud said members “fully expect to exceed”.

During the visit, participants plan to spend extended time with families in the camps, play with children, and distribute cash donations directly to households.

“We want to give the families their own dignity where they can decide what they feel they need to spend that money on,” Mahmud said, “as opposed to just giving them stuff and saying: ‘Here you go — this is what we think you need.’”

A particular focus of the trip will be on orphans living in the camps. The group plans to host a large iftar for 50 refugee orphans, alongside football coaching sessions led by a Uefa-licensed coach traveling with the team.

After returning, members hope to continue fundraising to cover each child’s annual living costs, including food, schooling, and general expenses.

Mahmud acknowledged that the visit would be emotionally challenging, given the scale of displacement and loss faced by many families. “Mentally we’re going to have to be quite tough,” he said.

While football is central to the tour, Mahmud emphasized its limits. “Football is not the answer. Football is not going to solve their problems,” he said.

Instead, he described it as a means of connection and temporary relief, with hopes of building a lasting annual initiative.

“We’re hoping this will become a long-term legacy for us — we’re hoping we can continue this every year,” he said.