Israeli football club Hapoel Tel Aviv have joined European champions Chelsea and other leading clubs at a London seminar to discuss how sport can help young people.

The three-day conference began on Tuesday with representatives of Europe's biggest clubs, including Manchester United, Everton, and Feyenoord.

The seminar was aimed at encouraging clubs to share their ideas on promoting fair play, tackling racism and providing equal opportunities. Participants discussed how football and other sports could help young people from impoverished backgrounds.

Four members of Hapoel's education and social action unit - Mifalot - took part. The scheme was set up in 1997 for Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian children to teach them about integration.

Meir Orenstein, Mifalot's director-general, said: "We are honoured to be recognised by the Premier League, the British Council and the European Union as one of the world leaders in the field of community outreach.

"After extensive work in over a dozen countries we are branded as a bank of know-how in this field, and we are happy to share that with colleagues from different European clubs."