Homeless World Cup Foundation and the City of Edinburgh team up to explore solutions to homelessness

Edinburgh will host a special Cities Ending Homelessness Forum on Thursday 17th July - the first time it’s been held away from the Homeless World Cup tournament

---

Global charity, the Homeless World Cup Foundation, headquartered in Scotland’s capital city has announced today that a unique event will take place in Edinburgh next month. In collaboration with the City of Edinburgh Council, the event will bring different sectors together to explore tangible solutions to homelessness.

The Edinburgh 2025 Cities Ending Homelessness Forum will be held at Edinburgh City Chambers on Thursday 17th July.

The Forum will focus on sport for social impact, temporary housing, mental health and women’s homelessness (specifically gender-based violence). This forum will offer an opportunity to those tackling these issues, across different services and sectors, to share existing solutions and suggest new ideas. It will also will take a more comprehensive view as the solutions it explores will go beyond just housing and will also look outside Scotland.

The Homeless World Cup Foundation started their global annual tournament, the Homeless World Cup in 2003 and this August in Norway’s capital city, over 500 players from across the world will take part in the Oslo 2025 Homeless World Cup.

This year is also the 20th anniversary of the 2005 Edinburgh Homeless World Cup which was held in Princes Street Gardens.

Images from the Edinburgh 2005 Homeless World Cup

The Homeless World Cup is a football tournament with purpose. The Foundation’s year-round work culminates in a world class event which has the power to change the lives of participants and shape attitudes towards the global issue of homelessness, using the universal language of football.

In 2023, at the tournament in Sacramento, the Cities Ending Homelessness initiative was launched with a conference. This forum has become a regular part of the tournament, with the second event happening during the Seoul 2024 Homeless World Cup and is again taking place as part of this year’s tournament in Oslo (tournament dates August 23rd – 30th).

Cities Ending Homelessness, started by the Homeless World Cup Foundation and Catalyst Now, aims to bring together policy makers, social innovators, those with lived experience, academics and the private sector from across interest areas to discuss how to end homelessness. The wide range of stakeholders reflects the integrated nature of the solutions that are needed as well as the fact that innovation can come from anywhere.

The Forum in Edinburgh will be the first time that a Cities Ending Homelessness event has been held outside of the Homeless World Cup tournament and offers the opportunity to explore solutions relevant to homelessness in Edinburgh and across Scotland.

With each event the discussions are tailored to the needs of that city, while looking across the globe for effective initiatives. As well as a compelling panel discussion and presentations there will be a choice at the forum in Edinburgh of three interactive workshops, allowing participants to put their ideas forward as the initiative seeks to break down silos and bring positive energy to the movement. 

Images from our Cities Ending Homelessness Conferences in Sacramento (2023) and Seoul (2024)

Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Lezley Marion Cameron said: “As we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 2005 Edinburgh Homeless World Cup, Edinburgh is grappling with the ongoing impact of the city’s Housing Emergency on people, children, and families across Edinburgh; and taking the steps needed to deliver new housing which is within the affordability of household budgets of those with housing need. 

“That’s why I am delighted to welcome the Homelessness World Cup Foundation and its Cities Ending Homelessness Forum to Edinburgh this July.   This forum has a proven track record of being a successful platform for people working at the frontline of confronting homelessness and investing in homelessness prevention around the world, to share good practice and innovative solutions which lead to meaningful change.”

Mel Young, co-founder and Homeless World Cup Foundation President, said: “Cities are where homelessness is most concentrated and where the greatest challenges arise - whether social, financial or political. Cities are where real-world innovations will be formed.  

“We know all about the issues around homelessness but what we need are concrete solutions. By sharing existing initiatives and exploring what works, we want cities like Edinburgh and across the world to explore how these ideas could be applied and adapted to the specific context and needs of that city. 

“There is no single reason for homelessness, there is no single solution, and no single city has all the answers – that’s why we need to work together and that’s why we are incredibly proud to be hosting this forum in the city of Edinburgh, the home of the Homeless World Cup.”

Edinburgh 2025 Cities Ending Homelessness Forum:

10am – 3pm
Edinburgh City Chambers

Register here to attend

Speakers and Workshop Leaders (more to be announced):

·         Councillor Lezley Marion Cameron (Depute Lord Provost. Convenor, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee)

·         Mel Young (President of Homeless World Cup Foundation)

·         Professor Beth Watts-Cobbe (Deputy Director at the Institute for Social Policy, Housing and Equalities Research (I-SPHERE), Heriot-Watt University)

·         Andy Hook (Head of Programmes, Street Soccer Scotland)

·         Rachel McLean (Former Player – played at the 2011 Paris Homeless World Cup)

·         Dougie Millen (Lead Manager, Sportscotland)

·         Emma Easton (Education Manager, Spartans FC)

·         Jonathan Tan (CEO and Co-founder, Greater Change)

·         Alex Cumming (Executive Director of Operations, SAMH)