Homeless football tournament in Northampton raises hundreds for mental health

The football team is an initiative between Project 16:15, a homeless outreach group, which started as an idea on Facebook by Stan Robertson, and members of Northampton's homeless community. Mr Robertson has built up a rapport with many rough sleepers and for two years he has hand-delivered a cooked breakfast every morning to the homeless community in Abington Street. Members of the Hope Centre and 16:15 including Lisa Rash, Simon Rash, Fleur Matthews, Lee Cowley, Maleen Godoy, Michelle Clinton, Sallie Tarbox Field, Amy Minx Kingand Mr King, and Chris Richens helped to organise the matches against Rushden and Diamonds FC, REME and Far Cotton Pheonix FC. Mr Robertson said: "Our guys' lifestyles is not the fittest of lifestyles but they played their two games to the max and they thoroughly enjoyed it - it went really well. "You would not have known that our team was homeless they were that good. "Everyone had the same kit on and it was just like four teams playing football. I think with the guys it made a huge difference to them that they were not being looked upon other than being a football team, which we wanted." All the players were awarded with their own medal and they will get the chance to train hard at Goals, in Mereway, until their next charity match in May 2020. The football team are still yet to decide which charities they would like to donate their money to but funds will be distributed locally.