Homeless World Cup - Chance for SA companies to help change lives

Forty eight countries are on their way to Cape Town for the fourth Homeless World Cup, with one goal in mind: To kick off global poverty and change their lives forever. Hosted by The Big Issue this is an international initiative to make a change in the marginalised lives of street people.

The Homeless World Cup has become a recognised event on the global sporting calender. National teams made up of homeless and socially marginalised people from across the globe compete in a week-long street soccer tournament. National teams from Afghanistan, Argentina, China, Brazil, England, to the Ukraine, US and Australia, will battle it out on the Grand Parade.

Now there is a stunning opportunity for South African based business to get involved, support this year's event and kick off global poverty. It is dynamic, involves courage and inspiration, with a huge positive message to deliver to the world it sits perfectly with a brand with the foresight, vision and imagination to realise it's potential.

Richard Ishmail, Managing Director of The Big Issue, urges any company who wishes to see their brand across South Africa and the rest of the world with an inspired, positive message to get into the Homeless World Cup while they can: "The Homeless World Cup has proved that it can make a concrete difference in the lives of socially marginalised people. This is an opportunity for South African companies to get involved and help to kick off global poverty."

Co-founder and President, The Homeless World Cup, Mel Young, says: "The Homeless World Cup has proved yet again that sport, and in our case football, has enormous power to create real and lasting change, this year the event will benefit over 10,000 players throughout the world. 77% of players change their lives forever as a result, which is quite extraordinary - this kind of change is previously unheard of - for the most disaffected people in the world who are usually cast aside and alienated by society."

A new social impact study commissioned to assess the improvements in the lives of the players ten months on from the 2005 Edinburgh Homeless World Cup reports the following significant, positive changes to their lives:-

94% (198 players) have a new motivation for life

85% (179 players) have improved social relations

77% (164 players) have changed their lives significantly in one or more of the following ways:

38% (80 players) have regular employment

40% (85 players) have improved their housing situation

28% (60 players) have opted to develop their education

Of the 43% (91 players) addressing a drug or alcohol dependency, 68% (62 players) succeeded

12 players now make their living partly from football as coaches or players with professional and semi-professional teams.

Nkosinathi Mkhonono is a Big Issue vendor in the process of setting up his own business. Originally from Mmtata in the Eastern Cape, Nkosinathi, like many other hopefuls, came to Cape Town on a quest for employment. He did security work for a while, and earned himself a Grade C certificate, but the job opportunities then dried up. He became a Big Issue vendor in 2001. A keen and talented footballer, he has gone to Europe twice as a member of The Big Issue street soccer team that took part in the Homeless World Cup. Nkosinathi has now become the assistant coach of the South African National soccer team and his experience, and motivational attributes are of inspirational value to his team mates.

Maria Bobenrieth, Corporate Responsibility Director for Nike Europe, Middle East and Africa, who have supported the tournament since its inception, comments: "The ability of sport, in particular football, to cross boundaries, inspire and to foster social cohesion is unparalleled. So when we had an opportunity to support what was then a somewhat whacky idea, but with huge potential to reach millions and to positively influence the lives of people in many countries, we jumped at the chance. Now a huge success, other sponsors should eagerly follow suit to allow thousands more to participate in the Cup."

Also supported by Nike and UEFA since its inception several world-class football teams support homeless World Cup teams. England is supported and coached by Manchester United and Spain has links with Real Madrid, Portugal with SL Benfica. Worldwide recognition for sport making a major positive impact on social exclusion has come from UEFA with the Monaco Cheque (previous winners include the Special Olympics and Football against Racism).

In a letter of endorsement, Danny Jordaan, CEO of the SA Football association, said, "...we endorse the concept of the Homeless World Cup as an initiative of stimulating social integration through sport. As an international event, it brings stature and prestige to South Africa and provides an opportunity for South Africa to showcase its commitment to socio-economic and sporting development."

Says Ishmail, "It is a privilege for us to be associated with this global initiative and we hope that local businesses also see the opportunity to help kick off global poverty. The lasting value of their sponsorship will be seen in the formation of a street soccer league which will complement the training, social integration and job-creation work being done by organizations such as The Big Issue worldwide.

"In addition, we are hoping to announcement a long-term employment legacy which create sustainable jobs. The awareness and branding possibilities are endless and at the same time we are proving that by forming a community of support we can instigate real change."

Organisations are invited to get involved with sponsorship and ongoing partnership opportunities. Full details are available at http://sponsor.streetsoccer.org/

Potential Sponsors can also contact Alroy Oliphant of Octagon on (021) 481 7700 or email Alroy.Oliphant@octagon.com


About The Big Issue South Africa
The Big Issue South Africa is a socially responsible organisation, which enables willing, unemployed and marginalised adults living in South Africa to take responsibility for their own lives through a developmental employment programme. A member of the International Network of Street Papers (INSP), The Big Issue has helped put more than R10-million into the pockets of homeless and unemployed South Africans since its inception in 1995.


Homeless World Cup Teams participating in Cape Town 2006:
48 countries will participate in the 4th Homeless World Cup: Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong China, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Liberia, Lithuania, Mexico, Namibia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uganda, Ukraine, USA, Wales, Zambia. For player and team stories visit www.streetsoccer.org


2005 Homeless World Cup Success
Research carried out amongst the 217 players involved in the 2005 Homeless World Cup produced some staggering statistics:

94% (198 players) have a new motivation for life

85% (179 players) have improved social relations

77% (164 players) have changed their lives significantly in one or more of the following ways:

38% (80 players) have regular employment

40% (85 players) have improved their housing situation

28% (60 players) have opted to develop their education

Of the 43% (91 players) addressing a drug or alcohol dependency, 68% (62 players) succeeded

12 players from 2005 make their living partly from football as coaches or players with professional and semi-professional teams


Homeless World Cup Supporters

SIR ALEX FERGUSON
Manager, Manchester United
"This is the fourth year that Manchester United has worked with The Big Issue in the North on the Homeless World Cup project and we are happy to be involved again. The previous years' events have shown that football is a powerful tool in changing people's lives, and it's great that we can play a part in that."

RIO FERDINAND
"You love football. But how do you train if you're homeless? How do you travel to compete if you don't have a passport? Football's for everyone. Get into the Homeless World Cup. I do."

LUIS FIGO
"Exactly when the chaos comes into our life, is when we must never lose hope, we must never lose faith in holy love and wisdom. If we have faith, small that it is... one day... it goes to help us to transform our life. My life is an example of this! And one of the ways to show my gratitude is to extend and to share, when I can, my luck, with those who need it. Because I believe that this way, we will be able to create a happier, more just society. As my art is in my feet and not in my hands, it is with much honor that I associate the power of soccer to this noble, social cause, in a year that marks Portugal's third participation in the Homeless World Cup."


Homeless World Cup International Partners

NIKE
"When we first met with the possibility of supporting the Homeless World Cup, like most good ideas it was riddled with opportunity and challenges. We didn't know it would become the remarkable success story it has, and affect so many people's lives for the better (although we had a good hunch). All we knew is that we believed in Mel, saw that the program had huge potential for positive social change among millions of people from many countries, and that it wanted to use sport - - football - - to get there. Nike contends that "if you have a body you're an athlete"...and we love the fact that the many reasons the beautiful game is so popular for such diverse groups of athletes are the same reasons why it has the power to inspire discipline, tolerance, and greatness - not only among the legends on the field but, for every athlete." Maria Bobenrieth, Corporate Responsibility Director for Nike Europe, Middle East and Africa.

UEFA
By adopting a flexible and clear social responsibility policy, UEFA is supporting the belief that football should be used as a force for broader benefit within society, using its potential to influence attitudes and behaviour beyond the confines of the stadium. Since 1999, UEFA re-invests fines imposed in UEFA competitions for specific purposes such as humanitarian aid, social and educational projects. The Homeless World Cup receives UEFA support because it has a strong link with football, has a set of clearly defined goals and successfully develops the use of football as a tool for fostering inclusion.

INSP
The International Network of Street Papers (INSP), which works closely with the Homeless World Cup, today comprises of more than 55 street papers in 28 countries, from South Africa to Russia, from Germany to the USA with a combined circulation of over 27 million. The organisation, based in Scotland, was set up in 1994 to promote the concept of street papers as means to address social exclusion and poverty in society. Street papers create employment and help to develop employable people through income derived from the sale of their publication and from a range of tailored social support programmes.