Manchester City favourite Jeremy Doku and pundit Danny Murphy have backed a Salvation Army football tournament, raising awareness of homelessness.
The church and charity hosted its 15th Partnership Trophy, bringing together more than 30 teams to tackle the root causes of homelessness and provide opportunities for participants to change their lives.
Doku, who has been vocal about his Christian faith, joined ex-pro Murphy to cheer on the teams which were made up of people from the Salvation Army’s Lifehouses, supported housing, outreach programmers and drop-in services.
It has also been supported by Pep Guardiola, former Man City manager, having attended in the past and now backed by his family’s Guardiola Sala Foundation.
The tournament aimed to boost wellbeing among people experiencing homelessness, promote independent living and reinforce that helping people move on from homelessness is more than just providing a home.
The team from Founders House Lifehouse, a supported accommodation in London, lifted the trophy at the end of the tournament in Manchester on 17 September.
Nathan Slinn, deputy director of the Homelessness Services Department for The Salvation Army, said: “We bring people together with shared experiences to help build relationships and also confidence. The Partnership Trophy is 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 and we also want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Guardiola Sala Foundation which has once again offered such wonderful support.”
Former Liverpool midfielder Murphy said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to be part of such a wonderful day organised by The Salvation Army. I have gained a deeper appreciation of the incredible work they do, and it has been inspiring to see so many young men and women come together from across the country. The event has been highly competitive, while also being filled with fun, joy and a wonderful sense of community.”
Through its supported accommodation, The Salvation Army gives a bed to more than 2,500 people across the UK and Ireland who have nowhere else to stay. The Salvation Army Homes subsidiary also provides more than 4,000 homes to those needing safety, security and opportunities.