To raise awareness of homelessness and backed by Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola through his charity, Guardiola Sala Foundation (GSF), The Salvation Army’s Partnership Trophy will return for its fourteenth year and competing to win is a team called North Wales United from the STEP project in Rhyl and the Ty Dewr Lifehouse in Wrexham.
The STEP project - which stands for ‘Support That Empowers People’ - aims to improve the lives of people living in temporary accommodation in the area, while Ty Dewr is a veteran specific service and is for any Ex-Army, Navy or Airforce personnel who find themselves experiencing homelessness.
Residents and staff will take part in the friendly five-a-side game which will see 29 teams from the church and charity’s homelessness services around the United Kingdom battle for the top spot on Thursday 18th September.
The friendly five-a-side competition, with the aim to boost morale and improve positive wellbeing and mental health amongst people experiencing homelessness, is run in partnership with The Salvation Army’s subsidiary, Salvation Army Homes, bringing together football teams from Lifehouses (hostels), supported housing, outreach programmes and drop-in services, together from around the UK.
The Salvation Army strongly believes in helping its residents tackle the underlying reasons why they became homeless, such as addiction or mental health problems, to ensure they aren’t trapped in a cycle of rough-sleeping and temporary accommodation.
Special guest, former England Captain Stuart Pearce, will blow the whistle to start the tournament, cheering players on throughout the day and inspiring the teams to be the best version of themselves that they can be, sharing top tips on how he managed extreme highs and intense lows experienced through his career.
Alongside Stuart Pearce, the Partnership Trophy will be supported by the Guardiola Sala Foundation (GSF), a humanitarian charity set up by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and his family, who attended the event in 2019 and have been involved and a supporter ever since.
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.
The Salvation Army is one of the largest homelessness charities operating in the UK, providing more than 3,000 places for people in Lifehouses (hostels) across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.