ENGLAND PLAYERS OFFER A HELPING HAND, HOME AND AWAY

March 3rd 2010: The Team England Footballers Charity have today announced their support for the Deloitte Street Child World Cup www.streetchildworldcup.org.

Former England captain David Beckham, said:

“I know from personal experience just what power football can have to inspire and change young people’s lives whatever their background or nationality. This is what the Deloitte Street Child World Cup is all about and I give it my full support.”

The England players will fund the participation of Manchester Youth Project M13 the ‘UK ambassadors’ for the tournament in South Africa in March.

The funding from the England players forms part of the squad’s Outreach Programme – their own initiative that supports disadvantaged young children and adults across the country.

The M13 Youth Project is a team of youngsters drawn from Ardwick in Manchester which is a community facing significant challenges. It is in 1% of most deprived areas in England (using the Government Indices of Multiple Deprivation) with a high rate of unemployment and child poverty, low educational attainment, extremely poor health, poor housing, services, and facilities, as well as a high incidence of gun and knife crime.

The week long event in South Africa is an initiative led by UK Human Rights organisation Amos Trust www.amostrust.org. Street children from countries including Brazil, India, Ukraine, Tanzania and of course South Africa will unite in their love of football and demand street children are given their rights.

Chris Rose of the Amos Trust: “We are thrilled to have the England team support the M13 Youth Project’s participation in the first event Deloitte Street Child World Cup. The England team know better than anyone the pride of representing your country and together we can make the voices of street children be heard.”

Helen Gatenby from M13 Youth Project: “Although children in the UK clearly do not face the same issues as those living on the streets in other participating countries, the UK team will go to listen, learn, participate on an equal footing and share their own valuable experiences of life in Ardwick.”

The tournament has the backing of leading international politicians, dignitaries and football figures.

The Right Honourable Gordon Brown MP, Prime Minister, commented: “I commend the Street Child World Cup for providing a platform for the rights of street children to be heard.”

“The Football Association commends initiatives such as the Deloitte Street Child World Championships which use the power of football to make a difference to people’s lives” - Lord David Triesman – F.A. Chairman