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War Cry’s Philip Halcrow finds out how a Salvation Army centre for people experiencing homelessness has been helping its residents by linking up with Premier League club Sunderland.

As the new Premier League season gets under way, many supporters will feel that they have grounds to be excited – in Everton’s case, a literal new ground.

And while the top flight’s longest-standing club move into the Hill Dickinson Stadium, other clubs are looking forward to their return to the elite. Joining Burnley and Leeds, Sunderland are about to play their first game in the Premier League for eight years.

The Black Cats have been through some tough times in recent years, but have been clawing their way back. They gained promotion last season with late goals in the play-offs, the players and fans having appropriately adopted the motto ‘’Til the end’.

Throughout the promotion push, a group from a Salvation Army centre for people experiencing homelessness were playing a special part in match days – and are ready to go again. Staff and residents at Swan Lodge in the city have forged strong links with the club.

Support worker Andy Smith says: ‘At the beginning of last season Chris Waters, the club’s supporter liaison officer, put us in touch with This is Wearside, a fan-based group which is responsible for flags and displays in the stands.

‘So myself and four or five residents began going over to the stadium with the seat plans and helping to put out the coloured plastics so that when fans raise them on match day, it creates an image – such as the ones for Remembrance Day and the play-off semi-final.

‘There’s a lot of hard work in getting the display ready, and as a reward we were getting tickets for the match.’

Then, Andy explains, the residents began playing an even bigger part on match days. ‘Chris asked how we would feel about being the official flag-bearing team for Sunderland Football Club.

‘So every home match, staff members go across to the stadium with residents, we stand pitchside and we’re responsible for waving the big flags before kick-off, when a goal is scored and at full-time.’

Andy’s analysis is that ‘getting the residents involved is massive’. 

He says: ‘Isolation and boredom are big problems in terms of homelessness and battling mental health issues and addictions. So helping with the displays and being the official flag-bearers at weekends gives the residents a sense of purpose and belonging.’

To acknowledge the contribution that Swan Lodge makes, the club took the playoff final trophy to the centre, where present and former residents, staff and supportive members of the community were given the chance to lift it.

Christine Ritchie, centre manager, sees how the connections with Sunderland AFC contribute to Swan Lodge’s work.

‘For the lads and lasses who do the flagbearing, it gives them self-worth,’ she says. 

‘Their families see them in their role, so it gives them a huge boost. And for a couple of individuals last season it helped them with their addictions and their mental health, because they knew they had to be ready to be flag-bearers on Saturday.’

The link-up, she summarises, is assisting The Salvation Army at Swan Lodge to fulfil its role.

‘We need to find ways to get someone from A to B along the path of life,’ she says. ‘And if football helps them, it’s a way of showing them that they’re valued – it’s a way of showing them God’s love.’