The Football Association joins forces with SOS Children
08/01/2006
SOS Children was delighted to hear The Football Association announce SOS Children as one of its five official charity partners for 2006. The FA had been impressed by the scale and scope of SOS Children’s work with orphaned children and their communities around the world, and was keen to support the charity’s work further. The FA Chairman Geoff Thompson commented, “We have spent a long time reviewing our charitable donations, mainly to ensure there’s a logical connection between the organisations we support and the areas The FA can directly and positively influence,”
“With that in mind, we’ve looked across the charity spectrum and compiled a shortlist from which five specific charities have been selected. Understandably, the selected charities work mostly in England, but the inclusion of BBC Sport Relief and SOS Children’s Villages takes our work beyond these shores.”
2006 looks like being the perfect footballing year for SOS Children which, together with their long-term partner FIFA, is working hard on the “6 villages for 2006” World Cup campaign. The campaign aims to construct six new SOS Children's Villages - one each in Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Ukraine and Vietnam. These villages will provide hundreds of orphaned, abandoned and destitute children with a new family home.
The FA has committed funds for one of the family houses being built as part of the new South African village, although its support will be more than simply financial. SOS Children and The FA will work closely together to raise awareness and funds for “6 villages for 2006” and the charity’s work in general.
Andrew Cates, Chief Executive SOS Children's Villages UK commented: “We are delighted to be working with The FA, particularly during a World Cup year. Football unites people from around the world and I’m sure that football supporters here in England will generously support SOS Children’s Villages in providing a future for children who have nowhere else to turn.”
With The FA’s support, SOS Children hopes to make 2006 the year that sees football help the world’s orphans.
For more information about SOS Children’s partnership with The FA or the “6 villages for 2006” campaign, please contact Chrissy Davey on 01223 365589 or email chrissy.davey@soschildren.org
Relevant Countries: South Africa.