Football event to kick off its 15th year tackling homelessness

Football tournament tackling homelessness to kick off for 15th year with support from ex-pro Danny Murphy

An annual football tournament raising awareness of homelessness will kick off for its 15th year with support from a footballing hero. 

Tackling the root causes of homelessness and providing participants with opportunities to change their lives, The Salvation Army’s Partnership Trophy is back for another year and to mark its milestone anniversary, ex-professional footballer Danny Murphy will be cheering on from the sidelines and inspiring teams offering words of encouragement and top footballing tips. 

Bringing more than 30 teams from the church and charity’s homelessness services around the United Kingdom together for the annual event at GOALS in Manchester, the friendly five-a-side competition will take place on Thursday 17th September with the aim to boost morale and improve positive wellbeing and mental health amongst people experiencing homelessness.

The Partnership Trophy has been backed for the last seven years by well-known former football manager and player Pep Guardiola through his family charity, Guardiola Sala Foundation (GSF) after he attended the tournament in 2019. This year the humanitarian charity will once again be supporting The Salvation Army and its subsidiary, Salvation Army Homes, to bring teams from Lifehouses (hostels), supported housing, outreach programmes and drop-in services, together to battle for the top spot. 

The annual tournament is one of the many ways that The Salvation Army promotes positive and independent living for its service users, while reinforcing its message that helping people to move on from homelessness is more than just providing a home. 

Nathan Slinn, deputy director of the Homelessness Services Department for The Salvation Army, said: “We are thrilled that our annual football tournament is back for another year and has reached such an important milestone. This is a key event in our annual calendar, one that we know means a lot to the people in our Lifehouses and those who access our services. The day brings people together, with shared experiences giving opportunity to have some fun together, building relationships and confidence. The Partnership Trophy can be a powerful tool to show value in people which can help support positive change, celebrating who they are and everything that they can be. 

“People with lived or living experience of homelessness often have complex layers of trauma or inequalities that have led to homelessness and this tournament reinforces our ethos that our services provide so much more than just a roof. Together with our partners, we’re committed to ending the cycle of homelessness. Football, and sport in general has the power to change lives; it boosts both mental and physical health and names as big as Danny Murphy and Pep Guardiola supporting us really does spur everyone on, and we are so grateful for their involvement.”

The Salvation Army strongly believes in supporting people to tackle the underlying causes to why they became homeless, such as trauma, addiction, mental health problems and wider health and social inequalities to ensure they aren’t trapped in a cycle of rough-sleeping and temporary accommodation.

The Salvation Army holds the event every year in partnership with its subsidiary, Salvation Army Homes, which has been part of The Salvation Army family providing housing services since 1959. With over 4,000 homes, providing people in need of safety, security and opportunities with quality accommodation, Salvation Army Homes, together with the church and charity, help people on their journey of personal transformation and out of homelessness. As with Lifehouses and drop-in services, Salvation Army Homes works with a variety of agencies, local authorities and specialist partners around the United Kingdom. 

The Salvation Army is one of the largest homelessness charities operating in the UK, providing 2,800 places for people in Lifehouses (hostels) across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.