Homeless World Cup scores £500k

The foundation will partner with the Homeless World Cup Foundation to provide the package over the next two years. The funds will be used to develop grassroots football programmes in more then 60 nations, including employing a CEO for the charity organisation, which will be based in Scotland.

The funding provides a giant leap towards building a £5m annual fund to achieve the cup's ambitions of seeing more than one million players taking part in the tournament in more than 75 nations.

The annual tournament, which has helped countless numbers of homeless people change their lives, has grown rapidly since it was established in 2003 by social entrepreneur Mel Young, who remains president.

Starting with 18 countries in the Austrian city of Graz in 2003, this year's contest will unite 56 nations and include a women's tournament when it kicks off in Melbourne, Australia, on 1 December.

The programme now reaches 30,000 players. Research has shown that 77 per cent of players experienced a ‘significant life change' after they took part, such as getting off drink and drugs, finding a home, getting a job, starting education or repairing a relationship. Some have even become sports coaches themselves.

The research also revealed that 94 per cent of players claim to have a renewed motivation for life.

Young said: ‘The Homeless World Cup has demonstrated that football can change lives; it can change the world. We are extremely grateful to the Vodafone Foundation's start-up funding which provides a giant leap towards building a £5m annual fund to achieve our ambitions.

‘We have a fabulous opportunity ahead, a great challenge and we need more people and more organisations to take The Vodafone Foundation's innovative lead to get football changing the world.'

The tournament was held in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, in 2005 and Team Scotland won the Copenhagen 2007 Homeless World Cup last year.

The Vodafone Foundation has committed £12m up until 2010 for programmes such as the Homeless World Cup, which have positive effects on health, education and help alleviate poverty. It has so far ploughed £100m into social investments around the world.

Andrew Dunnett, director of the foundation, said: ‘We are delighted to support a project that has an enterprising attitude to make a difference on an international scale… Having already directly improved the lives of thousands of people, The Homeless World Cup is a great project.'

For more information about the Homeless World Cup visit www.homelessworldcup.organd for The Vodafone Foundation go to www.vodafonefoundation.org