Over 200 young care leavers from across England gathered at Molineux Stadium for the highly anticipated National Championship Cup 25 recently – with the event receiving praise in the House of Commons.
Organised by the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Reach Leaving Care Team in collaboration with Wolves Foundation, the inspiring six-a-side football tournament offered care experienced young people aged 16-24 the opportunity to compete, connect, and showcase their skills on Molineux’s hallowed turf.
Following a series of knock out matches involving 20 teams from as far afield as Yorkshire and Milton Keynes, Warwickshire County beat Redcar and Cleveland in the final to claim the coveted 2025 Championship Cup – but, in reality, all of the participants were winners.
Councillor Jacqui Coogan, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “We were delighted to support this annual event which once again proved the old adage that football can be more than just a game.
“For some, it can be an escape and a breath of fresh air, and the day enabled these young people – who have already faced so many challenges in their lives – to not only showcase their talents on the pitch of one of England’s most prestigious sporting venues, but also to demonstrate their resilience and spirit off it.”
Tournament organiser Sam Neath, a Young Person Advisor with the council’s Children’s Services, said: “Some participants woke up at 4am, others couldn’t sleep because they were that excited. A young person that hadn’t engaged with me for six months found out about the tournament and came training; that’s the power of football.
“The National Championship Cup is getting bigger and better each year, and I want to take it to Wembley next year and for hundreds more young people to be able take part. I want Sky Sports and BBC to be there – I want these young people to be celebrated and championed.”
Young people explained how the tournament had helped them. Ubi, from Wolverhampton Warriors, said: “If you play in a team, it gives you life experience and it helps you to build confidence. Some of us aren’t that confident; playing sports gets me out of my comfort zone and gets me interacting with people that I wouldn’t usually talk to.”
Shahla, who travelled from Chesterfield to represent the Derbyshire team, added: “It definitely helps my mental health. Being a care leaver, you are quite singled out in life, so this helps us get out and feel less isolated.”
Warinder Juss, MP for Wolverhampton West, was on hand to help with the presentation of the cup and later celebrated the success of the tournament with his fellow MPs in Parliament, congratulating the young people, EFL in the Community, the council, Wolves Foundation and social impact company Spectra for supporting the event, and adding that “recognising and celebrating the potential of our young people in this way can empower them to thrive for themselves and for our communities.”
Robert Macpherson from the Department of Education said: “Congratulations on hosting such a great event – it must have taken so much time and effort to organise.”
A Redcar and Cleveland representative described it as a “day they will remember for a long time”, while a representative from the Stoke-on-Trent side added: “It was a fantastic experience for everyone involved, and we’re genuinely grateful to have been included.”