A SALVATION Army football team from Warrington will take part in a tournament next week backed by Pep Guardiola – with a goal to tackle homelessness.
Thirty teams from The Salvation Army homelessness services around the UK are competing for the Partnership Trophy , including a team made up of residents of the James Lee House Lifehouse (hostel) in Brick Street, Warrington.
Residents and staff will play in the friendly five-a-side game which will this year be supported by special guest, former professional footballer John Hartson, who played for Celtic and his national team Wales.
James Lee House has been part of Warrington for more than five decades and provides 54 beds for men and women over the age of 18 experiencing homelessness in and around the town. The Lifehouse celebrated its 55th anniversary in July last year.
Now in its thirteenth year, The Partnership Trophy is run by The Salvation Army and its subsidiary, Salvation Army Homes, bringing together football teams from Lifehouses, supported housing, outreach programmes and drop-in services.
Hartson will sound the whistle to start the tournament on the tournament which takes place at GOALS, Manchester, on Thursday, September 19.
The annual Partnership Trophy is one of the many ways the church and charity promotes positive and independent living for its service users and reinforces the message that helping people to move on from homelessness is more than just providing a roof over someone’s head.
Debbie Rutter, service manager at James Lee House, said: “Our annual Partnership Trophy celebrates everyone within our homelessness services, acknowledging the journey they are on to be the best version of themselves while recognising the challenges that many have had to overcome.
“Sport is an excellent activity to boost both mental and physical health, build on social skills and make friendships, working together as a team. There are often very complex reasons why people find themselves homeless and this tournament reinforces our ethos that our services provide so much more than just a roof and that, together with our partners, we’re committed to ending the cycle of homelessness – and what this event is all about.”
John Hartson, who played for Celtic and Wales, will be cheering on the teams, inspiring players and sharing top football tips, as well as talking about his own experiences of tackling a gambling addiction and overcoming stage four cancer.
This year’s football tournament will once again be backed by the Guardiola Sala Foundation (GSF) and the official sponsors will be The Salvation Army’s insurance company, Sagic (Salvation Army General Insurance Corporation) which provides comprehensive insurance products to families, businesses and charities across the UK.
GSF is a humanitarian charity set up by the Manchester City manager and his family, who attended the Partnership Trophy in 2019 and has been involved and a supporter ever since. Sagic, an ethical insurer that ensures profits are used to provide financial backing to many of the great causes supported by The Salvation Army, has generously agreed to back the event.
