Ambassadors in Sport: www.ambassadorsfootball.org
In 1990, 3 overseas amateur footballers who had relocated to the northern England town of Bolton started a football team by placing an advert in a local newspaper. From these humble beginnings a movement started that is ‘Ambassadors in Sport’ which has grown not only nationally across the UK (offices in Bolton and London) but to over 15 countries globally. The ambitions of these founders have always extended beyond the field itself; their Christian faith, ethos and values drove them to go beyond the game and actually seek to ‘bring hope through football’. Since becoming a UK registered charity (No 1055422) and a limited company (No 3172553) in 1997; AIS has aimed to be facilitators in mobilizing people and churches to participate in the vision to bring holistic transformation in individuals and communities through football. AIS want to serve the football community with excellence which means that Ambassadors want to support, help, encourage, include, partner, resource, focus on others and be big hearted towards the people involved at home and abroad in the football culture and community. AIS especially want to stand alongside those (particularly children/young people) who are poor, marginalized or vulnerable. Generally the Christian beliefs and foundations of AIS will be demonstrated in the character (e.g. integrity, trust, grace, Christ-like etc) of AIS workers and the way they connect (e.g. inclusiveness, respect for individuals, family etc) with others within the UK and overseas. Distinctively AIS seek to value Innovation, Team, Football and Church. Therefore in approach and attitude; AIS want to value Church by putting it at the heart of its tactics to be agents of transformation in the football community. The primary way in which this tactic will be worked out is to envision, equip and enable churches to engage effectively with the football culture. AIS wants to be intentional about tying in as much of its work (e.g. in schools, prisons, youth offenders, detached youth work, churches, youth clubs, teams, leagues, tours, tournaments, soccer schools, soccer weekends, football in the community and amongst the marginalised e.g. ‘Kids at Risk and homeless football projects) into local expressions of community i.e. church and football clubs.
Ambassadors Name Change
Following a 2 year international review and a global leaders summit in January 2013, there has been unanimous support for the name of ‘Ambassadors in Sport’ to be changed to ‘Ambassadors Football’ by the leaders of all the Ambassadors works around the world plus staff and trustees in the UK. The explanation for this change is that:
- We are often asked what sports apart from football we do and therefore want to clearly identify ourselves as specialists within our chosen sport of football
- We don’t want to be confused with other sports ministry organisations and so this name change will bring clarity to the wider sports ministry movement about what Ambassadors does
- We wish to communicate from our name a greater inclusiveness and sense of “movement” both in the UK and across the world as we work both in and through football
- We wanted to retain the name ‘Ambassadors’ as this is how we are known plus it is part of our God given calling (2 Corinthians 5:20) and DNA to be God’s ‘good news’ messengers to football loving people
Ambassadors run the very popular London Churches Football Tournament held at the Indoors 3g Astroturf Soccerdome by the O2.
The 6-a-side tournament has expanded to 2 days this year:
Sat 3 May Youths: U10s, U12s, U14s, U16s (Featuring Linvoy Primus)
Mon 5 May (Bank Holiday): Men & Women
Check out the entry form below
LCFT Entry Form 2014
