The top quality pitches will host hundreds of players for 7 days of football and fellowship in Glasgow’s George Square.
For the second consecutive year, Act Global is the official synthetic turf sponsor for the Homeless World Cup, which will take place this year in Glasgow, Scotland.
“It has been a privilege to be a Homeless World Cup sponsor, and witness the impact the organization has on players and communities around the world,” said Chris Clapham, co-owner of Act Global. “The event demonstrates the positive influence of sports and its ability to change lives.”
The Homeless World Cup is a unique, pioneering social movement that uses sport to inspire homeless people to change their own lives. Clapham said that supporting the Homeless World Cup aligns with the company’s mission to positively impact society and help affect social change.
“Being able to help people and bring about change, these are the most rewarding parts of our work,” said Clapham.
From July 10 to 16, Glasgow’s George Square will be converted into a street football venue to host 64 teams from 52 nations. Act Global—alongside partner suppliers Bonar Yarns, Malcom Construction and Sekisui —will provide three state-of-the-art synthetic turf surfaces for this year’s games.
The Xtreme Turf system selected for the tournament features a highly durable turf pile and a curled thatch layer from Bonar Yarns, which remains upright and resilient without infill applied. It is ideal for event use, as it offers a durable, consistent, all-weather surface, with little maintenance required. The system will be expertly installed on-site by Malcolm Construction over a Sekisui Alveosport pad, to offer excellent shock absorption and uniform performance over the entire field.
“To have three brand new playing surfaces means so much to the Homeless World Cup and to the players,” said Mel Young, co-founder and president of the Homeless World Cup. “The sense of empowerment that comes from participating in street football can help individuals envision change in their lives. For many of these players, this event is that catalyst for change.”
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.
“We are inspired by the personal stories of change we’ve witnessed from players, and are honored to be a small part of this fantastic event,” said John Baize, co-owner of Act Global. “A heartfelt thank you to our partner suppliers who help us support such a worthy cause. We are looking forward to cheering the players on again in Glasgow!”