It was a chilly day in Melbourne last Sunday, but with warm smiles and unyielding energy, players and spectators united for The Big Issue Street Soccer National Championships.

Teams flew from across the country to Melbourne for a two-day training camp on the Mornington Peninsula which was followed by the Championships at the Waterfront City Piazza in Melbourne’s new Docklands precinct.

The festivities kicked off bright and early with a schools tournament and corporate cup. Students from ten schools/youth groups and staff from …

The Big Issue street soccer players around Australia will be staying warm this winter with their new green and gold street socceroo beanies.

Knit One Give One (Kogo) is a community program who’s volunteers have been knitting beanies and scarves for the most vulnerable in the community since 2004. In 2007 Kogo knitted and distributed over 6000 garments and this year plan to break their record.

This year as well as distributing garments to disadvantaged families and those experiencing homelessness, they are putting …

On Sunday 20 July from 1pm - 5pm at the Docklands, Melbourne, The Big Issue will be presenting the Street Soccer National Championships. The day kicks off at 9am with a school tournament and corporate cup, followed by the Street Soccer National Championships at 1pm.

Players from Australia-wide will be arriving in Melbourne for the tournament. As well as the chance to demonstrate their …

31 of Victoria’s Street Soccer players and 10 staff and volunteers got together in Warburton for a weekend of drills, match practice and competition. The teams represented were Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo and the women’s team in Melbourne. Melbourne were proud winners of the State Championships on Sunday.

The weekend was supported by Rotary Southbank who were involved in so many ways; not only funding the weekend; but providing the players with toiletries, towels and T-shirts; organising meals, sleeping arrangements and …

The Brisbane street socceroos have moved to a new pitch, relocating to new farm Park in Brunswick Street, New Farm.

“It’s like playing soccer at the Sheraton!” said Queensland’s street soccer coordinator, Susie Edwards.

Shane, a Brisbane-based player that went to the Cape Town 2006 Homeless World Cup with the said: “New Farm Park is a great to place to train.”

“The quality of the field is a lot softer under the feet and the facilities are a lot better. It is unusual to be …

A team of four Melbourne primary school students has finished third in a prestigious international community problem solving competition with their project to assist players in the Melbourne 2008 Homeless World Cup.

The year six students from Melbourne Grammar’s coeducational primary school, Grimwade House, took out third place at the finals held last weekend in Michigan, USA, with their presentation on homelessness, including welcome kits which they will supply to around 500 players from around the world arriving in Melbourne for the Homeless World Cup on December 1-7.

The welcome kits will …

In 2006, having sent the street socceroos to represent Australia in Edinburgh in 2005, and Capetown in 2006, General Manager Steven Persson and coach George Halkias at The Big Issue put together a bid to host the 2008 Homeless World Cup. With the cooperation of key agencies including City of Melbourne, Victoria Police, the Victorian State Government and Victorian Major Events; the bid was successful and The Big Issue was officially handed the responsibility for …

We would like to welcome our new State Coordinator for the Street Soccer program in Victoria, Jarrod Gunn.

Jarrod a father of two and a keen follower of the Gunners soccer team in the Premier league first started at the Big Issue ten weeks ago. From then Jarrod has landed quite comfortably into this role and is progressively establishing the nine street soccer programs across the state. The Ballarat and Bendigo programs are just a couple that Jarrod has …

Do you want to change lives and give something back through sport?
Do you want to make a difference in your community?

Street soccer programs are being launched nationally by The Big Issue. Sign up and make a difference by becoming a street soccer coach.

The street soccer program gets together homeless and marginalised people for weekly training and matches. The program is a catalyst for a positive change in the lives of many people and by being a coach you …

Adelaide street soccer coordinator, James Maiden has just returned from two weeks in Zimbabwe working with the Zimbabwean Street Soccer Project. He has started filming a documentary on them and their journey to the Melbourne 2008 Homeless World Cup. The trip revolved around team selections at a national tournament held in Hatcliffe where the program takes place.

“It was amazing; six teams were competing in the concrete car park of the one shops in the area where Tawanda, the coordinator lives. Life …