Street Child United shows football’s leaders the power of football for good

Posted on the 5th Oct 2016

Last week Street Child United attended the Soccerex Global Football Convention in Manchester and shared with the new Secretary General of FIFA, Ms Fatma Samoura, how we use the power of football for good.

Ms Samoura has 20 years experience working for the United Nations, and is now one of the most influential figures in global sport. Street Child United was encouraged to hear Ms Samoura’s plans to oversee a ‘new era’ for football’s world governing body. In her keynote address, she announced that work has already begun to make FIFA more transparent, inclusive and focus more on grassroots football.

SCU CEO, John Wroe, shared with Ms Samoura how the Street Child World Cup uses the power of football to inspire change in the perceptions and treatment of street children worldwide, and outlined plans for the next Street Child World Cup which will take place ahead of the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018.

On day two of Soccerex, Street Child United were invited to lead a discussion on “Football’s Global Responsibility” in the Love Football zone, presenting a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the huge potential the game has to reach beyond the field as a force for good.

John Wroe was joined on the panel by SCU Ambassador, Brazil World Cup Winner, Arsenal Invincible and current Technical Director of Panathinaikos, Gilberto Silva, alongside Kate Laurens, Senior PR at Arsenal Football Club. Proceedings were moderated by David Garrido, Sky Sports Presenter and Street Child United champion.

In front of a packed audience, John presented how the Street Child World Cup has inspired change for street children all over the world, using football’s universal appeal, “Football is loved, it reaches where nothing else can. We all get it – everybody, at every level of society”.

Gilberto Silva added, “Football is very special to unite people. We use a ball, a game, to bring people together.”

Afterwards, ex-Manchester United player, Quinton Fortune shared memories from his trip, with Chevrolet and Dwight Yorke, to our Safe Space football programme in Rio de Janeiro, a legacy of the Street Child World Cup 2014. Quinton said, “For these kids to have an outlet, somewhere they can come together and do something positive and play football, which they love in Brazil, for me and Dwight Yorke it was amazing…I was very honoured to be part of that experience.”

“It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life”

Hear @QuintonFortune talk about his trip to Rio with @ManUtd & @iStreetChild

👏🇧🇷🌎⚽ pic.twitter.com/f84noLozCn

— PL Communities (@PLCommunities) September 29, 2016

Street Child United wishes to thank Soccerex for their continued support. And a special thanks to our panel speakers, the Premier League, Connect Sport and She Kicks alongside Jez Weeks and Danial Wood for curating the Love Football programme.