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Yesterday the UK government announces it is matching public donations to Soccer Aid for Unicef, meaning double the difference for children’s lives. Donations made up to and including 23rd July 2019 will be matched by the UK government, helping make sure Unicef can continue its vital work supporting children around the world.

Soccer Aid for Unicef co-founder Robbie Williams said: “It’s great that the UK Government will be doubling public donations to Soccer Aid for Unicef this year. Everyone is always so generous in supporting this brilliant cause, and knowing that the money raised will go even further to help even more kids around the world couldn’t be better. Whatever you’re able to afford, the work made possible by your donation could be truly life changing for children. So dig deep, and donate!”

Secretary of State for International Development Penny Mordaunt said: “Since 2012, our partnership with Soccer Aid for Unicef has saved lives across the world’s poorest countries by reducing child mortality and helping transform maternal and new born care for more than 4.5 million people.

“By teaming up again this year, we will be helping even more children to play, live healthy lives and reach their full potential.

“UK aid will double every pound the British public donates to Soccer Aid for Unicef, meaning their generosity will go twice as far.”

Soccer Aid for Unicef is defending play for every child. This year, extra funding made possible through the UK Government doubling public donations will support Unicef partners in training midwives to help mothers deliver babies safely and breastfeed for the first six months. It will also help parents and communities understand the best nutrition for their children; support the treatment of malnutrition, helping critically ill children recover with special milk and peanut paste; and train pre-school teachers to help build early learning centres, so children can learn and thrive in the critical early years.

When a child is healthy, happy and able to enjoy their right to play, they get ready to take on the world. Helping children to play – whether that’s by ensuring they are born safely, receive the right nutrition, or have the safe places and the equipment they need to play – really is just the beginning.

This will be the fifth time the UK Government has matched public donations to Soccer Aid for Unicef. Thanks to the UK government doubling public donations since 2012, Soccer Aid for Unicef has:

• Improved the health and nutrition of over 2 million children in some of the poorest countries in the world
• Supported 195,000 pregnant women with antenatal and nutritional care in Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Liberia
• Helped 822,000 children in Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Liberia get the nutrition they need for the best start in life
• Improved the health and nutrition of 300,000 children under 5 in Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Mauritania and Niger
• Improved the health and nutrition of 1.25 million pregnant women and children in Zimbabwe, Myanmar and Ethiopia

To find out more about Soccer Aid for Unicef, visit www.socceraid.org.uk

For more information on Soccer Aid for Unicef please call:

Unicef UK: 0207 375 6030 or email media@unicef.org.uk

Download Robbie Williams, Joe Wicks and Niall Horan supporting film here: https://app.aframe.com/links/eeb0aefd058a2d5de165804286df4b9d

Download Robbie Williams and Niall Horan supporting imagery here: https://unicef.assetbank-server.com/assetbank-unicef/images/assetbox/cade400b-ec30-40b7-866e-48d52e3a33de/assetbox.html

For more photography contact:

Unicef UK Photography: TFlynn@unicef.org.uk

To buy tickets for Soccer Aid for Unicef match at Stamford Bridge on Sunday 16th June 2019, please visit www.socceraid.org.uk/tickets/ or call 020 7386 2019.

About UK Aid Match

Until 23rd July 2019 up to £3 million of public donations to Soccer Aid will be doubled by the UK government. This is thanks to UK Aid Match, which provides opportunities for the UK public to engage with international development issues and have a say in how UK aid is spent, whilst boosting the impact of the very best charity projects to reach the poorest people in developing countries. For every £1 donated to a UK Aid Match charity appeal by the UK public, the government will also contribute £1 of UK aid, to help these projects go further in changing and saving lives. In five years, UK Aid Match has supported 42 charities, running projects in 27 countries. Projects are expected to benefit more than 25 million of the world’s poorest people. For more information on Soccer Aid for Unicef and UK Aid Match visit https://www.socceraid.org.uk/defending-play. For more information on UK Aid Match visit https://www.gov.uk/international-development-funding/uk-aid-match

About Soccer Aid Productions Limited

The multi-stakeholder project of Soccer Aid for Unicef is run by Soccer Aid Productions, a collaboration between Unicef UK and Triple S Events, part of the Triple S Sports & Entertainment Group.

About ITV Responsibility

ITV, as an integrated producer broadcaster, creates, owns and distributes high-quality content on multiple platforms. ITV operates the largest commercial family of channels in the UK and deliver our content through traditional television broadcasting as well as on demand via the ITV Hub. For more information please visit itvplc.com.

ITV’s social purpose is to use its influence on popular culture to create positive change. Its on-screen social cause strategy is focused on health and wellbeing, to inspire, engage and empower people to make a difference to their own and other people’s health. For more information please visit itvresponsibility.com.

About Initial

Initial is one of the UK’s leading entertainment content creators and producers. Part of Endemol Shine UK, the UK’s largest television production group, Initial is behind hit shows such as Big Brother, Tenable and Total Wipeout. Initial has been the producer of Soccer Aid since its inception in 2006 and has produced all seven events for ITV.