![Act Global Continues Its Commitment To The Homeless World Cup by Donating Four Synthetic Fields]()
by Shelby Becker
The top-quality pitches will host more than 500 players for seven days of football and fellowship in Mexico City’s Zocalo square this week. For the fourth consecutive year, Act Global will be donating synthetic turf fields for the Homeless World Cup. This year’s tournament will be taking place in Mexico City, where more than 200,000 spectators gather to watch players from 47 countries compete in the week-long festival.
The Homeless World Cup is an annual tournament that unites homeless or socially disadvantaged people from all over the world to give them a chance to build relationships as well as reintroduce structure and support into their lives. This tournament is a culmination of a year’s effort from grassroot organizations. The Homeless World Cup Foundation uses football to inspire homeless people to change their own lives while representing their nation. This event continues to grow each year, impacting not only the players themselves but the thousands of fans, volunteers, and members of the media that follow the festival. Due to that growth, the tournament has expanded from three surfaces to four to accommodate more than 400 fast-paced matches.
Photo Source: Homeless World Cup
An estimated 100 million people are homeless worldwide, but over its history, the Homeless World Cup has touched
the lives of over 1 million. 94% of players said that the Homeless World Cup has positively impacted their life. 88% have improved social relations with friends and family. 77% have experienced significant change.
This tournament is a unique experience for homeless people worldwide to assemble over a love of football and have the chance to play as a team on a professional-level synthetic turf field from Act Global. Act Global’s Xtreme Turf has been through verified testing and is dedicated to serving the safety and performance needs for all players, making this turf a durable yet safe field for the Homeless World Cup players.
Photo Source: Homeless World Cup
“Being able to inspire people and bring about change is something that is very important to us,” says Act Global CEO John Baize, “We are honored to be a part of such an inspiring event and we love seeing the growth and impact that has affected the players over the years. We want to thank everyone that has played a part in this event and I am looking forward to attending this year’s Homeless World Cup in Mexico City!”
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ABOUT ACT GLOBAL
Act Global is a world leader in synthetic turf technology, with a full range of artificial turf for sports (Xtreme Turf), landscaping (Xtreme Lawn), aviation (AvTurf) and land reclamation (LiteEarth). Act Global is notable for currently being the first company in the world that is a FIFA Preferred Producer for Football Turf, Synthetic Turf Council Certified Manufacturer, World Rugby Preferred Turf Producer, and holds an ISO 9001 certification.
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ABOUT HOMELESS WORLD CUP
The Homeless World Cup is on a mission to inspire life change through the power of football. The annual football tournament brings together teams from partner organizations from around the world in a celebration of their hard work and the personal transformations they enable. The event also brings the issues of homelessness and social exclusion onto a global stage, raising awareness and changing perceptions of homelessness. Ninety-four percent of past participants say that the event positively impacted their lives. Founded in 2001, the Homeless World Cup and its partners now span 74 countries and has impacted the lives of 1 million homeless people worldwide.
Shelby Becker is a creative content creator and marketing specialist at Act Global. She’s an animal rights activist, avid concert-goer, and scary movie enthusiast. Follow her on LinkedIn .
For more information, contact marketing at sbecker@actglobal.com
![Act Global Continues Its Commitment To The Homeless World Cup by Donating Four Synthetic Fields]()
by Shelby Becker
The top quality pitches from Act Global hosted players from around the world for eight days of football and fellowship in Oslo’s City Hall Square.
Austin, TX- For the third consecutive year, Act Global has collaborated with the Homeless World Cup to be the official turf sponsor and donor. This year’s tournament took place in Oslo, Norway, and brought together 50 countries with more than 500 players for the eight-day festival.
The Homeless World Cup is an annual celebration by the participating National Partners that use the power of football to help those who are homeless or socially disadvantaged. By playing football, individuals who have become displaced and isolated can build relationships as well as reintroduce structure and support into their lives. The tournament is an opportunity for individuals who are invisible on the streets to become heroes on the field while representing their nation. Norway’s capital city hosted the 15th edition of the Homeless World Cup from August 29- September 5.
An estimated 100 million people are homeless worldwide, and as many as 1 billion lack access to suitable housing. Of past Homeless World Cup participants, 94 percent have said that the event positively impacted their life, and 77 percent have experienced significant change.
Gathered from a uniting love of football, the participants had the opportunity to play on a professional-level synthetic turf system from Act Global. The durable, consistent, all-weather surface was more than just a pitch for the participants, rather a place to belong. It is on these fields that players were joined by thousands of fans, volunteers and members of the media for the celebration of strength and resiliency. In the end, Brazil’s mixed team won the tournament for the third year in a row, and Mexico’s women’s team claimed victory in the female bracket.
“We love working with the Homeless World Cup”, comments director Chris Clapham. “Each year we have the opportunity to witness the positive impact that the tournament leaves on the players, and it is a privilege to watch this impact grow each year. We congratulate and are inspired by the remarkable work by the Homeless World Cup co-founder Mel Young, and his entire organization. They have truly changed the world.”
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About Act Global
Act Global is a world leader in synthetic turf technology, with manufacturing facilities on three continents and sales in more than 80 countries. The company carries a full range of products for sports (Xtreme Turf, UBU, and Xtreme Grass), landscaping (Xtreme Lawn), aviation (AvTurf) and land reclamation (LiteEarth). Act Global is a FIFA Preferred Producer for Football Turf, Synthetic Turf Council Certified Manufacturer, World Rugby Preferred Turf Producer, FIH Preferred Supplier, and holds ISO 9001 Certification. Its products have undergone hundreds of independent laboratory tests for quality, durability, safety, environmental soundness and performance. For more information, visit http://www.actglobal.com
Shelby Becker is a creative content creator and marketing specialist at Act Global. She’s an animal rights activist, avid concert-goer, and scary movie enthusiast. Follow her on LinkedIn .
For more information, contact marketing at sbecker@actglobal.com
![Act Global Continues Its Commitment To The Homeless World Cup by Donating Four Synthetic Fields]()
by Shelby Becker
Homeless World Cup Amsterdam 2015
The newly installed synthetic turf pitches from Act Global hosted hundreds of homeless individuals for eight days of football and fellowship.
Aalten, Netherlands – September 20, 2015
For eight days, over 500 individuals of varying backgrounds, nationalities, ages and interests, came together in Amsterdam’s Museumplein centre for the 13th Annual Homeless World Cup.
With a shared love of football, the participants gathered to play on the new 4G turf pitches, provided by synthetic turf sponsor Act Global and their installation partner Sallandse United. Thousands of fans, volunteers and media members from around the world joined in Amsterdam to welcome the players, and celebrate their perseverance and resiliency. In the end, Mexico claimed double victory, with both the men’s and women’s team coming out on top.
While the new pitches provided a durable, consistent and attractive playing surface, for these players they also symbolized a place of belonging. On the pitch, the playing ground is equal. Prejudices are left on the sidelines. Players build relationships, trust, responsibility, dedication and a sense of community.
“To have three brand new playing surfaces meant so much to the Homeless World Cup and to the players. For these individuals, the pitch is a place for them to feel empowered and part of a group, to have a place and a purpose,” said Russell Smith, CMO of Homeless World Cup. “For many of these players, this is their spark for change.”
According to the Homeless World Cup website, an estimated 100 million people are homeless worldwide, and as many as 1 billion lack access to suitable housing. A survey of Homeless World Cup players found that:
- 94% say the Homeless World Cup positively impacted their lives;
- 83% improved social relations with family and friends;
- 77% changed their lives significantly because of their involvement with football; and
- 71% continue to play the sport.
South Korea’s Yoonbo Sung said, “Throughout this competition I have gained confidence. The Homeless World Cup has given me the confidence I need and I will be using this experience when I get home to continue to rebuild my life.”
And the tournament will continue to impact players for years to come. Former Scotland Goalkeeper Toby McKillop who competed in Santiago 2014, had struggled with drug addiction for years, and found himself feeling desperate after having lost everything—his home, his partner, his family, and his daughter Molly. McKillop nearly lost his life, but following rehab, joined Street Soccer Scotland, and made his way to the Homeless World Cup in Chile.
“The Homeless World Cup has completely changed my life. It’s very hard to explain what it is that the whole experience gives you. Something changes inside. The way you see yourself. You are positive. Everything is now a possibility for you and you know what’s important in life. Life, now, is all about building my relationship with Molly. Everything I do now, staying clean and living life, I do it for Molly,” said McKillop.
Act Global co-owners Chris Clapham and John Baize experienced the emotion of the games at Amsterdam’s Museumplein first-hand.
“It’s been a privilege to attend the Homeless World Cup, and witness the impact the event has on the players, fans and surrounding community,” said Baize. “This event truly exemplifies the positive influence of playing sports and its ability to impact lives. We are proud of the players and honored to be a part of this fantastic event.”
“We are a very passionate company. We care very passionately about the world and people around us,” said Clapham. “And with that passion and enthusiasm, comes social responsibility. These are the most rewarding parts of our business.”
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ABOUT ACT GLOBAL
Act Global is a world leader in synthetic turf technology, with a full range of artificial turf for sports (Xtreme Turf), landscaping (Xtreme Lawn), aviation (AvTurf) and land reclamation (LiteEarth). Act Global is notable for currently being the first company in the world that is a FIFA Preferred Producer for Football Turf, Synthetic Turf Council Certified Manufacturer, World Rugby Preferred Turf Producer, and holds an ISO 9001 certification.
ABOUT HOMELESS WORLD CUP
The Homeless World Cup is on a mission to inspire life change through the power of football. The annual football tournament brings together teams from partner organizations from around the world in a celebration of their hard work and the personal transformations they enable. The event also brings the issues of homelessness and social exclusion onto a global stage, raising awareness and changing perceptions of homelessness. Ninety-four percent of past participants say that the event positively impacted their lives. Founded in 2001, the Homeless World Cup and its partners now span 74 countries, and has impacted the lives of 1 million homeless people worldwide.
Shelby Becker is a creative content creator and marketing specialist at Act Global. She’s an animal rights activist, avid concert-goer, and scary movie enthusiast. Follow her on LinkedIn .
For more information, contact marketing at sbecker@actglobal.com
![Act Global Continues Its Commitment To The Homeless World Cup by Donating Four Synthetic Fields]()
by Shelby Becker
Photographer: Alex Walker
On September 12, individuals of varying backgrounds, nationalities, ages and interests, will come together in Amsterdam for eight days. One thing they all have in common: a shared love of football. They are here to play in the 13th Annual Homeless World Cup. (more…)
Shelby Becker is a creative content creator and marketing specialist at Act Global. She’s an animal rights activist, avid concert-goer, and scary movie enthusiast. Follow her on LinkedIn .
For more information, contact marketing at sbecker@actglobal.com
