Homeless charity Shelter’s 2022/23 #NoHomeKit campaign, developed in tandem with sport and entertainment agency Dark Horses, saw around 1000 clubs (both elite professional teams and grassroots amateur sides) sign up to swap their home kit for their away kit for games over the festive period to raise awareness and funds for Shelter frontline services fighting bad housing and homelessness.
For the second year running, Dark Horses teamed up with the housing charity on a #NoHomeKit campaign tackling homelessness at Christmas and the initiative again centered around football clubs and fans swapping their beloved, familiar home strips for an away or third kit for Christmas fixtures to support of those with no safe place to call home.
The integrated campaign expanded through creative executions across out-of-home and social channels with the aim of spreading awareness of the issue amongst the wider football fanbase.
Clubs and leagues from across the football landscape pledged their support.
Every men’s team in the top four divisions in Scotland (which saw, for the first time ever, Celtic forgo its famous green and white hoops at Celtic Park) and every Scottish professional women’s team took part. Whilst several EFL sides – including Watford, Coventry City and Derby County, also returned to support the initiative for the second year in a row. Plus Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion supported the project off the pitch as Premier League rules prevent kit changes during games.
As well as clubs, individuals and influencers who backed the cause campaign included pop star and football fan Tom Grennan. While the project also included brand partnerships with companies such as Classic Football Shirts and Mitre, as well as with several broadcasters and football media organisations.
A range of brand, partner and club content rolled out across multiple channels to drive awareness and, as well as wearing away shirts for a team’s festive fixture, fans also directly supported Shelter by donating £5 to the campaign by texting ’HOME’ to 70455 and/or by visiting the charity’s #NoHomeKit website.
Amazing effort by everyone taking part in #NoHomeKit today and over the Festive fixtures.
Clubs and fans across the football community have rallied round to raise awareness of homelessness in the fight for home. We love to see it.https://t.co/RqQf9ZTh8f pic.twitter.com/YkPCYVGAbk
— Shelter (@Shelter) December 26, 2022
The football community knows the importance of home. But this year, thousands of people will be spending the Christmas period; in dingy hostels, on friends’ sofas, or even sleeping in freezing cars.
This is something we can’t ignore. #NoHomeKit pic.twitter.com/178DzQV3HC
— Shelter (@Shelter) December 26, 2022
⚽️ Clubs and fans up and down the football pyramid are taking part in #NoHomeKit today; swapping their home colours for an away or third kit to raise money and make sure everyone in the UK has access to a safe, secure and affordable place to call home.https://t.co/RqQf9ZTOXN
— Shelter (@Shelter) December 26, 2022
Whether you’re watching at the ground or from your sofa, join the movement fighting for home.
Get involved with #NoHomeKit by swapping your home colours for an away or third kit (like @petercrouch and @MelanieCmusic below) and donate: https://t.co/RqQf9ZTh8f pic.twitter.com/lM1i66beC3
— Shelter (@Shelter) December 26, 2022
Back home for the final time this year, and proud to be supporting @Shelter's #NoHomeKit campaign once again.
Donations: https://t.co/45wdkm4net pic.twitter.com/SucOG4tGUC
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) December 31, 2022
❌ On boxing day we will be supporting @Shelter #NoHomeKit campaign for the second year running by wearing our away strip against Doncaster Rovers
Read more – https://t.co/zMX6nGNPsH#TRFC #SWA pic.twitter.com/Uh5V1UUxSY
— Tranmere Rovers FC (@TranmereRovers) December 21, 2022
Thanks to everyone from West and @charnockfc who supported our @Shelter #nohomekit day.
Our shirt auction, combined with donations around the ground, raised over £1,000 for Shelter, helping them continue their valuable work tackling homelessness in Manchester and beyond. pic.twitter.com/6UUMepCssz
— West Didsbury & Chorlton (@WD_CFC) December 27, 2022
“Homelessness is out of control, but despite this, it continues to be a largely invisible crisis. By using football’s most visible asset – the home kit players wear on the pitch – this campaign aims to change that,” explained Dark Horses Strategy Director Mark Lloyd. “The support from clubs and league organisations has been fantastic in preparing for year two of #NoHomeKit, setting us up to make this campaign a regular fixture in the football calendar.”
Shelter Director Of Campaigns Osama Bhutta added: “Last year it was fantastic to see fans and teams across the country come together to fight the housing emergency. Our frontline services are braced for an incredibly tough winter as the cost of living crisis bites, so it’s brilliant that so many teams, fans and celebrities are stepping up to make #NoHomeKit even bigger this Christmas. The dedication, creativity and expertise of the Dark Horses team has been instrumental in bringing football together for this vital cause.”
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The background to the campaign is a cost of living crisis which sees demand for Shelter services intensify with 25 UK households made homeless every 90 minutes. Thus, between the first and last whistle of any football match, 25 households will no longer have a safe or secure place to call home.
With around 1000 participating clubs, this year’s campaign almost quadrupled the number of teams (260) who took part in the previous year’s iteration of the cause campaign.
Last year’s first #NoHomeKit iteration – despite Covid-related fixture postponements – was a major success for the charity which drove an uplift in donations of more than £500k during the campaign.
According to Shelter, Dark Horses was chosen for the project due to ‘its deep understanding of sport and how it can be leveraged to create a positive and lasting change in society’.
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