With four days to go before the Homeless World Cup kicks off in Cardiff, Welsh homelessness charity Cymorth Cymru has launched a campaign which calls on people and organisations to play their part in ending homelessness.
Backed by Welsh actor and activist Michael Sheen, the campaign throws down the challenge: ‘Ending homelessness is a team effort. Will you play your part?’
Cymorth Cymru has developed the Play Your Part campaign alongside people who use and deliver homelessness services in Wales. From small acts of kindness to big changes in government policy, it’s up to each individual which action they decide to take, but the idea is that together, we can make a difference.
As excitement grows in the last few days before the tournament, the #PlayYourPart19 campaign will launch initially on social media, encouraging people to tweet their support, lobby their local politicians and commit to actions that will help end homelessness.
Once the football kicks off on Saturday 27 July, the campaign team will be at the tournament in Bute Park, with Cymorth Cymru staff handing out information, talking to members of the public about homelessness and encouraging them to pledge their support.
Cymorth Cymru Director Katie Dalton will also be taking part in the first discussion event at the tournament, highlighting the campaign calls to action and urging attendees to play their part.
The event is called Small nation: Big ambition to end homelessness and will also feature Michael Sheen and Crisis chief executive Jon Sparkes. Michael will discuss his hopes and ambitions for an enduring legacy of the tournament that will impact those experiencing homelessness and social exclusion in Wales long after the final whistle is blown.
Michael Sheen said: ‘The Homeless World Cup is about far more than a football tournament and I have been very clear from the start that I want it to have a lasting impact. Over the past year I’ve been listening to people with experience of homelessness and they’ve told me that lots more can and must be done to address this issue. Working with Katie and Cymorth, we’ve developed a positive campaign which gives people and organisations a variety of actions they can take to tackle homelessness. Together, we can make a difference; I hope lots of people commit to playing their part during the Homeless World Cup and beyond.’
Katie Dalton said: ’The Play Your Part campaign encourages people to get informed, get talking, and get active in the campaign to end homelessness. We know that lots of people and organisations want to help, but are often unsure about what they can do. This campaign provides a menu of options, from small things that can make a big difference, to larger commitments that require strong leadership. If everyone pledges to take at least one action – and asks their local politicians to do the same – then we can make a real difference.’
The Homeless World Cup will be delivered by the Homeless World Cup Foundation in coordination with Cardiff City Council, Cardiff University, Cymorth Cymru, Cardiff City FC Foundation, FA Wales, FAW Trust, Pobl Group, Office of Michael Sheen, Working Word, PYST, Bevan Foundation, Community Foundation in Wales and Street Football Wales.
Entry to the Homeless World Cup is free and open to all. For further information, visit http://homelessworldcup.org/ and follow @HomelessWrldCup on Twitter and @HomelessWorldCup on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.