Street Soccer is a fun and exciting initiative of ‘the Big Issue’ magazine that uses the power of sport to change lives. The program promotes social inclusion and personal change for participants by providing support and promoting participation, inclusiveness, commitment and team spirit.

The heart of Street Soccer in Perth is a weekly game in Wellington Square, East Perth, every Tuesday afternoon. “The games are for people who are marginalised from society for various reasons, from intellectual reasons to mental health issues,” said coach Sean d’Arcy. “Football is a way of bringing everyone together and getting active.”

D’Arcy and his team, who welcome upwards of 45 individuals to each session, work closely with players to link them to services relevant to their personal circumstances. “We help however can, be it accommodation, health and so forth by putting the players in touch with agencies that can make a difference in their lives,” he said.

Inglewood United recently demonstrated their support for Street Soccer by gifting surplus playing shirts and training jackets to the program. “Each year we organise a Wet Weather Gear day were we try to hand out clothing to keep the players warm through the winter and dry while they play football each week,” explained d’Arcy.

“The players were thrilled with their new shirts and jackets, emblazoned with the Inglewood logo. This is the first time we have had shirts with numbers on the back and the players absolutely loved it. In fact, we even had a few friendly arguments over who got to wear some of the numbers.”