Homeless World Cup Changing Lives and Perceptions

Tue 10th Jan 2012 | Football Industry Events

Survey indicates 90% of spectators believe the Homeless World Cup makes a difference to homeless people and the public perception of homelessness

Queen Margaret University Researcher Fiona O'May has presented a 'Research and Evaluation Report' for the Paris 2011 Homeless World Cup. The findings are taken from a cross section of 129 spectators who attended the event held from the 21^st to 28^th of August 2011 at the Champ de Mars, Paris, France.  

Developed by Dr. Emma Sherry (La Trobe University of Melbourne, Australia) the survey has been utilised since the Melbourne 2008 Homeless World Cup to analyse the impact of the annual tournament on the perceptions and attitudes of spectators with regard to homelessness, event sponsors and their motivation for attending.

Key Findings

Paris 2011 Homeless World Cup? The Event

-       Nearly half of the spectators (49%) reported awareness of the Homeless World Cup prior the tournament and nearly two thirds (62%) of spectators intentionally attended the event.
-       Sixty five percent of spectators surveyed are interested in football, 62% are interested in the concept of the Homeless World Cup, and 80% are interested in sport as a means of social inclusion.

When asked about the community benefit of the Paris 2011 Homeless World Cup:

-   97% of spectators agreed that Homeless World Cup promotes values that are good
-   92% of spectators agreed that the Homeless World Cup demonstrates how sport can help to make a difference
-   90% of spectators agreed that the Homeless World Cup breaks down stereotypes about the homeless community
-   97% of spectators agreed that the Homeless World Cup is a fun and entertaining event

Attitudes towards Homelessness

-   77% of spectators surveyed worry about the issue of homelessness
-   94% of spectators felt that more should be done to address homelessness
-   81% of spectators believed there should be no homelessness in a country like France
-   Over half (51%) of spectators surveyed stated that the Paris 2011 Homeless World Cup had changed their attitudes towards homelessness and homeless people

The majority of suggestions and comments regarding the event were positive. People were complimentary about the good organisation, fantastic atmosphere, and overall spirit in which the tournament was played. Some of the comments are the followings:

• "I see people, not homeless people"
• "Stereotypes broken, positive attitude that things can change"
• "Anybody can be homeless regardless of their appearance"
• "There is more need of organisations that remove young people from poverty and give them more opportunities so that they can feel more valued as people"
• "It's a very good concept"
• "Brilliant event, really well organised, really uplifting for everyone, especially the players"

You can read the complete survey HERE

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