Website: www.homelessworldcup.org

Started: 2001

Based: Edinburgh

Co-founded by Mel Young, Homeless World Cup uses football to energise homeless people to change their lives and develop solutions to homelessness.

The organisation believes that getting homeless people involved in football helps them communicate, build relationships, and develop trust among teammates. Having the responsibility to attend and participate also helps the players to feel part of something. These transferable skills go beyond the sport and help the players to change their lives.

To date over 200,000 homeless people have been impacted by Homeless World Cup.

Homeless World Cup operates through a network of over 70 national partners to support football programmes around the world. It also supports social enterprise development and has created three enterprises in the sports equipment and recycling sectors. 

To celebrate its work, the organisation holds an annual international football tournament for teams from around the world. The tournament has received global attention and helped to draw awareness to the challenges of homelessness as well as the work of Homeless World Cup. The tenth edition will take place in Mexico City in 2012.