Where has GoalGhana come from?

We are Ben Carpenter and Ben Hayman. In February 2006 we went to Tamale, in Northern Ghana, to coach football, teach classes and organise a big football gala, with an established local charity called RAINS and an amazing man called Shaibu.

Shaibu had set up a network of football teams across 3 dispersed communities. Training sessions were very well attended with more than 50 children often turning up. They wanted to play, meet friends and get formal football coaching. The sessions also provided a fantastic chance to interact with positive adult role models in a structured environment, to feel valued and, most importantly, to have fun.

But safe kit, facilities and fresh water were all seriously lacking, and pitches were pot-holed and dusty. The children who wanted to play were often very poor, not in the best of health, maybe not in education and living pretty tough lives.

It was obvious that a bit of cash and support could develop Shaibu's amazing work to improve the tough lives of many young people in the Tamale area. So, back home in London we created GoalGhana and wrote down a few simple words with a wonderful aim –

“GoalGhana exists to help young people in poor areas develop life and sports skills within a safe and positive environment”

And now we’re here, talking to you – our friends, families and colleagues – because without you those words mean nothing.

How it works

GoalGhana is a fundraising organisation. We undertake fundraising initiatives with our friends, family and colleagues (you!) and then use this website to show how that money is being spent.

Its spent on projects through established NGO's like RAINS, in Tamale, to make sure the money is spent correctly:

1. to make sure kids can have fun and learn new life skills through football
2. to help projects develop in a structured and sustainable way so they can ultimately be independent from GoalGhana

We work in our own time, covering overheads with our own money and the generous support of others, and we promise to do our best to ensure all the fundraising goes straight to the projects, benefitting kids through football.

Our goals

Our goals and ethos are very simple - we want to help kids living tough lives enjoy themselves and have access to adult and peer support. We saw what a tremendous platform football can be and so we set up GoalGhana.

Ultimately our aim is to support lots of football-based projects supporting kids in poor communities. Having experienced the impact it can have first hand, we believe that this is a really worthwhile cause.

See what we’re getting up to both here in the UK and in Ghana. You might see something you want to be part of…

GoalGhana is fully supported by RAINS, an NGO based in Tamale, registered no. 68457. RAINS is registered and recognised by Ghana’s Department of Social Welfare, with vast experience in the areas where GoalGhana funds.
Visit their website for more info – www.rainsgh.org

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