Guest blog by Stand & Be Counted
New song Around the World has been released as part of a special collaboration between two pioneering organisations, the arts charity Stand & Be Counted and historic Sheffield FC.
Children in the charity’s Youth Theatre of Sanctuary devised the song concept, lyrics and recorded it with the help of musicians. The group then filmed a tongue-in-cheek music video at Sheffield FC’s the Home of Football stadium in Dronfield. The track has been released today, Friday June 14, to coincide with the launch of the UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany and is free to download.
John Tomlinson, joint CEO of Stand & Be Counted said: “The children in our group live for football. They always play the game before our Saturday sessions together and as a team we want to focus on topics they love. Euro 2024 coincides with Refugee Week so it felt like there was no better time to do this. We’d absolutely love for Around the World to go to number one. But also it’s about celebrating Sheffield – which was the first City of Sanctuary – as a new home for these children and their creativity.” 
Stand & Be Counted is the UK’s first theatre company of sanctuary. It works with refugees, new migrants and asylum seekers – anyone, of any age, who is seeking sanctuary. Its Youth Theatre of Sanctuary meets every Saturday in Sheffield to work on creative projects, from making video games to shadow puppet shows.
Musician Ed Waring helped the group to record their song alongside a full creative team. The track refers to superstar footballers Messi and Ronaldo, as well as the young people chasing their dreams and ‘all being welcome’ to join their team. Then the team united with Sheffield FC to film their video, which features the grounds, kit and fans of the club founded in 1857.
Richard Tims, chairman of the world’s first football club, said: “At Sheffield FC we know how football has the power to transcend barriers and unite people from around the world. We hope the whole of Sheffield gets behind this song to score the goal of it being number one for Euro 2024.”
The Youth Theatre of Sanctuary will also be performing their song as part of the Migration Matters Festival in Sheffield. They take to the stage of the 4,000-capacity Fan City fan village, on Devonshire Green, on Saturday June 22.
Migration Matters Festival runs for nine days from Friday, June 14, 2024, with more than 70 cultural events taking place.
Download the Around the World song here or from your usual music streaming service.
Fan City runs for the duration of the Euro 2024 tournament (June 14- July 14) and promises to deliver an epic month of football, live music, celebrity Q&As, food, drinks and more.
Every game of the tournament will be shown at Fan City.
All games are free entry aside from the England games, which are ticketed.
Get in touch
For more images, videos or interviews, email ellen@editsheffield.co.uk or call 07540279774.
Photography by Khaled Alwajad.
