Man City legend Vincent Kompany giving testimonial money to Manchester's homeless in touching charity donation

The Manchester City captain has joined forces with mayor Andy Burnham to set up a new fund aiming to eradicate the problem of rough sleeping by the end of 2020.


Kompany, 32, is embarking on a year of events linked in with his testimonial awarded for ten years at the club – in which time he has become a popular figure for his work in the community.

The defender and Burnham have set up Tackle4MCR – and is now calling on businesses and wealthy benefactors to sign up to supporting a series of activities culminating in a gala match and dinner at the end of the season.

Kompany said: “I’ve received much from Manchester: a great career at the highest level, unconditional support from the fans through thick and thin, a lovely family and so much more to be grateful for.

“Over the past decade I’ve been lucky to have witnessed and played a part in Manchester City’s rise as a club and a brand. This has also run parallel alongside the rise of a whole region.


"However, with this spectacular rise, comes a very visible downside: more and more people are left out of and have no access to the benefits of the rapid development, often leaving them no choice but to end up on the streets.”

The money raised will go straight into Burnham's Homelessness Fund, to which he contributes 15 per cent of his salary, with the aim of ensuring every rough sleeper in Manchester has a bed every night this winter.


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The Greater Manchester mayor said: "I’m very proud to have launched Tackle4MCR alongside Vincent Kompany.

"After an outstanding decade where he has led Manchester City to the heights of the footballing world, Vincent has now decided to dedicate his testimonial year to helping those most at need in our city.

"In Greater Manchester we want to provide a bed for every rough sleeper every night of the week over this coming winter.

"This will not be an easy task but we believe this is the best way to help people off the streets and crucially, also give people access to the support they need.

"This unprecedented scheme will come at a significant extra cost and Tackle4MCR can play a huge part in making this plan in to a reality – but only with the generosity and support of people from across Greater Manchester.

"In his famous poem, Tony Walsh told us that ‘some are born here, some drawn here, but all call it home’.

"Those words are personified by Vincent Kompany and his desire, through Tackle4MCR, to give back to this city that he now calls home."

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