A FOOTBALL team for people experiencing homelessness won the East Wales League final at the Play Football Centre in Newport.

The team from Ty Gobaith, a Salvation Army’s residential centre for people experiencing homelessness, won the game organised by Street Football Wales at the PlayFootball Centre in Newport on Wednesday.

Street Football Wales is a social inclusion charity which provides footballing opportunities for almost 1,000 individuals experiencing homelessness, drug dependency and mental health issues.

Wayne Ellaway, 41, former service user and captain of the team, said: "This tournament has been brilliant.

"Football is incredibly important for me and played a huge role in my recovery.

"Ty Gobaith and the Salvation Army have done so much for me, their ongoing support is amazing.

"I have my own flat now and live independently but remain committed to supporting the football team."

The Salvation Army promotes a person centred approach to supporting people who are experiencing homelessness and supports service users to take part and form football teams, providing opportunities to promote confidence and a lot more.

Ahmed Abdi, 19, a current service user at Ty Gobaith, said: "I've been living at Ty Gobaith for several months and the involvement with the football team has been really important to me.

"It's a great opportunity to socialise, build friendships and meet new faces, has helped to build my confidence and has helped me develop team-building skills."