Later this week @ninianna and I will be travelling to Rio to witness the spectacle that is the Homeless World Cup street soccer tournament, taking place on Copacabana Beach. I’ve completed a few sporting challenges of my own this year, raising funds for the HWC by way of many generous donations from all of my great friends, and this trip to see what the funds I have raised can do for the people taking part in the tournament is going to be a very special occasion.

I wanted to help HWC by raising funds because they inspire and empower people – giving those with little or no hope a real chance of changing their lives for the better through taking part in the tournament, playing street soccer, and representing their nation on the global stage. Having the opportunity to see this kind of project in action, and the difference that it can make at first hand, is something that doesn’t happen every day and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.

Just imagine going through these steps over the course of a few months:

• you are homeless (living on the streets or are in temporary housing or a hostel, for example) and you are asked if you would like to come and play soccer one evening
• you turn up, play, and meet some new people who become your friends and team mates
• you come back for more, week after week, have a lot of fun and begin to get fitter
• you are picked to play for your team in a regional/national tournament
• you do well, and are selected for the national team to represent your country at the HWC
• you are wearing your national team’s colours and are playing in the HWC tournament
• you are in with a shout of a trophy on finals weekend of the HWC
• you are playing in the final of the HWC
• you are in the winning team of the HWC!!!

This scenario is going to come true for some of the players in Rio this week – how fantastic is that?! I’m sure I don’t do this transformation justice in this small post but it happens and will keep happening as long as the tournament continues and people support the cause. Mel Young and the team at HWC do a fantastic job in putting the tournament on in the face of a lot of opposition and bureaucracy related the homelessness cause, but their work is invaluable and long may it continue.

I want to share my experiences of the event with as many people as I can so there will plenty of tweets, a few photos and some video clips, too. Follow me here, or the HWC and Mel Young:

• twitter @homelesswrldcup @melyoung53
• web www.homelessworldcup.org www.melyoung.posterous.com