Yahoo backs the homeless helpline and donates £50,000 to Centrepoint

The latest donation will go towards the the Street Football Association, a Centrepoint-run initiative encouraging vulnerable people to transform their lives through football.

(EPA)

Yahoo UK boss Nigel Clarkson today hailed Centrepoint's work combating youth homelessness as he announced a donation of £50,000 to the charity.

The donation comes as The Independent’s Young and Homeless Helpline Appeal, of which Yahoo is an official media partner, enters its final weeks, and follows donations from other leading tech companies Airbnb and Deliveroo.

As media partner, Yahoo dedicated editorial and advertising space to the appeal, raising awareness and funds for the Centrepoint Helpline through its UK news site.

The latest donation, however, comes via the Yahoo Employee Foundation, and is designated for the Street Football Association, a Centrepoint-run initiative encouraging vulnerable people to transform their lives through football.

Announcing the donation, Clarkson said: “Centrepoint’s work in combating youth homelessness is more important now than ever.”

“We're immensely proud to support the charity in many ways, including a range of mentoring opportunities, driving awareness of the Helpline through advertising and editorial content, and contributing £50,000 for Centrepoint's Street Football Association which helps keep young people safe and off the streets.”

Street football games last 14 minutes with four players on each side. Professional clubs, including from the Premier League, work with the Street Football Association to provide training programmes and work shops for those facing social exclusion and homelessness.

Yahoo selected Centrepoint as its official partner charity in 2015. In addition to today's donation, staff have since raised over £80,000 for the charity through activities including bake sales, sleep outs and 10km runs.