Representatives of FA-backed charity met the Prime Minister at Number Ten.
The award winning Dads Against Drugs charity were in London this week to team up with fellow streetfootballworld network members Street League and Kick4Life to showcase their involvement in the Football for Hope Festival, an official FIFA World Cup event in Johannesburg’s Alexandra Township.
The FA has generously covered travel costs for both the Dads Against Drugs and Street League teams to take part in the Football for Hope Festival and representatives were at Downing Street on Tuesday to make a very special presentation.
The DADs team of eight young people from Hull & East Riding with project co-ordinators, coaches and a young leader along with representatives from Street League and Kick4Life handed over special football shirts and a symbolic ball to the Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Home Secretary Alan Johnson in the No 10 Downing Street gardens.
The ball, which had been sent from streetfootballworld Berlin, will be forwarded to Nelson Mandela in South Africa, with a shirt with Mandela printed on it too.
Dr. Damian Hatton, Chief Executive and Founder of Street League and the Network Board Manager for streetfootballworld said of the event: "Today has been the start of the journey to South Africa and the Football For Hope Festival this summer. The groups have been chosen by streetfootball to represent the UK because they have been seen to bring about change for young people and the programmes they offer are considered to be of extremely high quality.
"The organisations have come a long way since their inceptions and our collective vision to support the most disadvantaged adults into living independently has been extremely successful."
Henry Frankish, DADs player, said: “This is an amazing opportunity to tell the Prime Minister about our journey to the Football for Hope Festival, it's fantastic that he is interested in what we are doing.”
Wendy Broomfield, DADs Co-ordinator to the Football for Hope Festival, added: “This is a real honour for us to be invited to Downing Street and to meet the Prime Minister. We know he is a great football fan and will appreciate what we are setting out to do”
In addition, FIFA and The FA were in attendance, whilst streetfootballworld was represented by Damien Hatton from Street League London.
The FA has partnered Street League through its official FA Charity Programme 2010, donating money from The FA Community Shield, signed shirts, match tickets and mascot places. The FA also supports Kick4Life with England Manager Fabio Capello travelling to Lesotho to see Kick4Life’s HIV/AIDS work first-hand in the past.
For more information on FA Charity Partner Street League, click here.
For more information on FIFA’s Football For Hope movement, click here.
