Street Child World Cup wins inaugural Football for Good – Game Changer Award

Posted on the 3rd December 2015

We’re delighted to announce that the work of Street Child United was honoured last night at the inaugural Football for Good Awards – celebrating all the good things achieved both on and off the pitch using football.

Our flagship initiative, the Street Child World Cup, won the Game Changer award recognising our work using the power of football to effectively campaign and raise awareness of the plight of street children across the world.

Taking place ahead of each FIFA World Cup, the Street Child World Cup provides a global platform for street children to challenge the negative perceptions, transforming the way they are treated.

The awards, hosted by Sky Sports Ed Chamberlin, took place at Billingsgate Vaults in London bringing together the great and the good in the football world. Guests included BBC Sports Broadcaster Jacqui Oatley, England internationals Rachel Yankee, Claire Rafferty and Laura Bassett and patron of the organising charity Coaching for Hope, Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim.

We were delighted to be joined on our table by Sky Sports News, David Garrido and our supporters Imperial Corporate Events.

Street Child United, CEO, John Wroe said:

“Street Children are too often marginalised from society and consequently denied their rights. We believe in the power of sport to build a fairer society and football is a powerful tool in ensuring that street children are given the protection, support and opportunities for a future away from the streets.

It’s an honour to receive the Game Changer award. We would like to share it with the children we serve, our incredible NGO partners working to support street children across the world and every supporter and volunteer who helps make our work possible. We believe that no child should have to live on the streets.”

The UN estimates there are 150 million children at risk of the streets worldwide; these are children living on, working in or at risk of the streets. These children are often stigmatised, vulnerable to violence, abuse and exploitation and suffer multiple violations of their rights.

The most recent Street Child World Cup, in association with Save the Children, took place ahead of the Brazil FIFA World Cup in April 2014. Over 230 former street children from 19 countries came together for 10 days in Rio de Janeiro, to play football and stand together for their rights. The message from the children was clear: I AM SOMEBODY.

Street Child World Cup received the support of Pope Francis, Prince William Duke of Cambridge, David Beckham and Zico. As a result, teams of street children have been recognised and consulted by their governments and legislative change has been achieved.

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