Inspiring Mriay: how an IDP football club revives communities – an interview with Oleksandr Volynchuk

FC Mriya (Hostomel) is a unique football project that has gone beyond being a regular club in a short time and turned into a powerful social movement. Recently, Mriya’s management has undergone significant changes and an updated development strategy has been formed. All of this is aimed at achieving not only sporting but also social goals: supporting IDPs, rebuilding communities and promoting football as a unifying force.

In an interview with the club’s executive director, Oleksandr Volynchuk, you will find out how Mriya helps IDPs integrate into new communities, what the social component of the team’s activities is, and what ambitious plans the club has ahead of the second rounds of the Kyiv Region Championship and the Ukrainian Amateur Championship. This material will be of interest to both football fans and anyone who follows large-scale social initiatives that are born even in difficult times.

When football becomes a social mission: how Mriya unites Ukrainians

– Oleksandr, what does the creation of FC Mriya mean to you in the context of Ukraine’s current challenges?

– For me, FC Mriya is not just a football team, but a real social project that unites IDPs and helps them adapt to new communities. In today’s context, sport has become the engine that can create points of unity and give people a sense of belonging. We are the first football project in the world to be founded by internally displaced people, and our key task is to show that football can not only achieve sporting goals but also address important social issues.

It is very important to emphasise that the club was officially founded by Mykola Vasylkov and Dmytro Dubas, and from the very beginning, a huge number of volunteers, star footballers and bloggers joined our activities. All of these people believed in the idea of Mriya and created the foundation that allowed our project to grow into something more than just a football team.

– FC Mriya was established in an extremely difficult period for Ukraine. How did the historical events, including the battle in Gostomel in February 2022, influence the formation of the club’s social mission?

– The historical events that unfolded in the Kyiv region, particularly in Hostomel, reminded us all of the courage of Ukrainians and the price we pay for freedom. It was against the backdrop of these challenges that in 2023 we felt an urgent need to create a project that would help internally displaced people adapt and unite faster.

Our logo and name are linked to the AN-225, a symbol of Ukrainian resilience and rebirth after destruction. This connection is very important to us: it reminds us every day that nothing can break the spirit of people who want to live freely and develop their country. That’s why our mission is to help IDPs find their place in life again, restore ties with their home communities and feel part of a big Ukrainian family.

Matches as small holidays: football that heals and brings people together

– How does FC Mriya contribute to the socialisation of IDPs and support veterans?

– We see football as a platform for communication and uniting people. Therefore, each match turns into a small celebration where, in addition to the match itself, various humanitarian, entertainment and social events take place. This allows IDPs and veterans to feel that they are not alone, that they are supported and that they can find new friends, partners or colleagues.

In addition, in March 2024, volunteer entrepreneurs S. Vashchuk and Y. Polyakov joined the project. Thanks to their investment and management experience, the Club’s legal, technological, and management structure was developed and established, with major decisions made by the Club’s Board. This allows us to offer not only emotional but also practical support: from financial matters to organising educational events or career guidance.

– The team consists mainly of players who have become IDPs. How does this affect the atmosphere in the team and the work of the club?

– This creates a completely unique atmosphere of mutual support and solidarity. When everyone in the team understands the difficulties that each of us has gone through, motivation goes beyond purely sporting results. The players want not only to win on the field, but also to help each other rebuild their lives destroyed by the war.

Everyone feels part of something big, because we understand that Mriya is not just a club, but a driving force that can positively influence the lives of thousands of people not only in Ukraine but also globally. In addition, when famous footballers and bloggers cooperate with us, it further motivates the players, the coaching staff and our entire community to move forward.

From amateurs to the UPL: the club’s ambitious plan that inspires

– The club has ambitious sporting plans. What stages of development do you plan to move towards in the coming years?

– We set ourselves big goals. First of all, we plan to start playing professional football, starting with the Second League of Ukraine in the 2025-26 season. Then, step by step, we will move to the First League, and by 2031 we want to enter the UPL.

At the same time, we are working on setting up a football academy to train the younger generation of talented players. We also plan to build our own infrastructure to secure a foothold in the football arena for years to come. These projects are not only about sports, but also about building local communities and opportunities for IDPs.

– You pay a lot of attention to youth development. What are your plans for the children’s academy and how will it contribute to the socialisation of young IDPs?

– Our future academy is an investment in a new generation of Ukrainians. We want IDP children to be able not only to learn football skills, but also to grow up in an environment where team spirit, mutual respect and discipline prevail. Our club focuses on developing leadership skills and self-confidence.

This approach will help young footballers integrate more quickly into new communities. Not only will they learn football, but they will also receive support from mentors and friends, which will help them adapt more quickly and reach their potential.

Partnership without boundaries: uniting business, volunteers and the world for Mriya

– FC Mriya is not just a team, but a large charity football project where everyone can become not only a fan but also an active participant in the initiative. How do you integrate these different roles into the club’s work?

– We have created a unique interactive platform where everyone can find their own way to get involved. We have a mobile application and a Telegram bot that allow people to join the Mriya NGO. There, you can also access up-to-date information, take part in voting, and support the team as a benefactor.

In fact, we offer several formats of participation:

• Become a member of the NGO Mriya via a Telegram bot or mobile application, which gives you the opportunity to influence the internal processes of the club and receive exclusive materials.
• Become a sponsor or partner – this helps us develop our infrastructure and implement social initiatives.
• Participate in the development of educational processes – you can join our training and mentoring programmes for children and young people.
• Try yourself as a volunteer – volunteer assistance is needed in many areas, from organising matches to working with IDPs.

In this way, we unite different stakeholder groups around one idea and make everyone feel that their contribution is really important.

– How do you see the role of partnerships and international support in the club’s development?

– We are convinced that only by combining the efforts of business, charities and the international community can we achieve truly large-scale results. The partnership gives us the opportunity to upgrade the football infrastructure, launch educational programmes and implement social projects for IDPs.

We are already supported by well-known investors, and we have ambitions to expand our cooperation with foundations and volunteer organisations from around the world. International recognition proves that our model – where football serves as a social tool – can be interesting and useful not only in Ukraine.

– What inspires you personally in your work with FC Mriya and what are the main messages you want to convey to Ukrainians?

– I am inspired by how sport can unite people of different ages and with different stories. ‘Mriya is already proving that football is a universal language that helps to overcome barriers and restore faith in a better future.

The main message is that we can create strong communities and revive Ukraine through sport and unity. In addition, we create an environment for interaction based on our key principles:

• Purposefulness
• Systematic approach
• Honesty and openness
• Tolerance
• Partnership
• Uniting, interacting and developing refugees

Our work has already been highly recognised: according to the Sport & Business Club Ukraine, we won the Best Football Matchday of the Year nomination, beating even a number of UPL clubs with much larger budgets and fan bases. This proves that sincerity and social responsibility can mean more than just financial resources.