Street Soccer: Transforming Lives with the Power of Salesforce

Since 2009, Street Soccer has been making a profound impact on individuals facing challenges such as homelessness, mental health issues, and social isolation by using football as a tool for engagement and change.

Today, the organisation supports over 4,500 people across the UK, offering more than just football – they provide vital off-pitch support that ranges from emotional assistance to helping players with practical needs.

But what has really taken their work to the next level in recent years is their use of Salesforce, which has become integral to their mission of creating communities and opportunities for those in need.

Salesforce: More than Just a System

At our recent Edinburgh event where Street Soccer spoke about their experience, they shared that since implementing Salesforce in 2017, the organisation has utilised the platform to track their activities, measure impact, and keep their teams connected. This has allowed them to operate more efficiently, stay in tune with the needs of the individuals they support, and ensure that the organisation is consistently evolving to meet their players’ needs.

For Street Soccer, Salesforce isn’t just a tool, it’s the backbone of their operations – or, as they put it, “We don’t talk about it as our Salesforce system, we talk about it as our Street Soccer system.”

They go above and beyond to change the lives of people that need it on and off the pitch….everything from a Cat Funeral to urgent food parcels, SIM cards and daily support, the team are there for the Street Soccer Family.

Dashboards: Real-Time Insights and Data at Every Level

At our event, Street Soccer inspired the audience with their use of data. One of the most significant ways Salesforce has revolutionised operations at Street Soccer Scotland is through the use of dashboards. Dashboards provide visual, digestible formats of key data that are accessible to staff at all levels of the organisation. These dashboards offer a real-time view of everything from player demographics and challenges to positive outcomes like securing housing or employment.

“Dashboards are key for us as an organisation to display that data visually and in digestible formats for staff at all levels,” shares Cameron, the organisation’s central operations manager and unofficial Salesforce admin. The data is updated around the clock, providing teams with live insights into the work being done and the impact they are having. This tool ensures that everyone, from senior leadership to the frontline teams, is always in the loop.

Celebrating Player Achievements with Data

Street Soccer is all about building a sense of community and celebrating the small but significant milestones that their players achieve, both on and off the pitch. Salesforce has made it easier to capture and celebrate these wins by providing detailed, real-time data on each player’s journey.

As Cameron explains, “We can celebrate our players' achievements on and off the pitch and continue to create positive change across the UK.” Every player’s progress – whether it’s attending a session after weeks of absence or securing a job – is tracked and celebrated through the data captured in Salesforce. Coaches highlight player achievements during each session, and these highlights are compiled into reports, allowing the organisation to share success stories with funders, supporters, and the wider community.

Reporting: A Game-Changer for Fundraising

For Sophie, Street Soccer’s Grants and Trusts Manager, Salesforce’s reporting capabilities have been a “massive factor in improving the efficiency of my work.” In the past, gathering data for reports required manual data collection from coaches and other team members, but now, all the information she needs is just a few clicks away. Salesforce allows Sophie to create tailored reports for funders, tracking everything from how many players attended sessions to the specific support each player has received.

This instant access to data not only saves time but also enables the fundraising team to provide more detailed and accurate reports to their funders, which in turn strengthens their relationships and helps secure future funding. “We can track all our income streams, see every individual supporter record, and create a complete picture of where our funding is coming from,” Sophie explains.

Making Impact Everyone’s Job

One of the most transformative aspects of Salesforce at Street Soccer is how it has embedded impact measurement into the fabric of the organisation. In the past, tracking the impact of their work – particularly the off-pitch support that makes up 70% of what they do – was seen as nobody’s specific job. Now, it’s everyone’s responsibility, from the coaches to the fundraising team to senior leadership.

Cameron highlights this shift: “Before Salesforce, impact was really seen as nobody’s job… Now it’s part of everyone’s working day, integrated into all aspects of the organisation, from comms to programs, from frontline to board.”

Coaches use a custom-built portal to input data on the support they provide to players, whether it’s helping with a housing application or offering emotional support. This data is then used to inform the organisation’s overall strategy and improve the support they offer.

Amplifying Impact and Looking to the Future

Salesforce has enabled Street Soccer to better understand their players, track their progress, and make more informed decisions about how to support them. With data flowing in from every corner of the organisation – from the frontline teams to the fundraising department – they can paint a complete picture of the work they’re doing and the lives they’re changing.

As they continue to grow and evolve, Street Soccer plans to expand their use of Salesforce, using the platform to align their data with their strategic goals and further amplify their impact. “We know that Salesforce is the right system for us to do that well,” says Cameron, reflecting on the future. With Salesforce by their side, Street Soccer is poised to continue creating life-changing opportunities for people across the UK for many years to come.

Technology powering the future.

At the heart of Street Soccer’s work is a commitment to supporting people facing complex challenges with personalised, human-centred care. Salesforce has empowered them to not only provide that care more efficiently but also to celebrate the achievements of their players and demonstrate their impact to funders and supporters. From visual dashboards to tailored reports, Salesforce has truly become the organisation’s “Street Soccer system,” helping them transform lives, one player at a time, and the team knows that technology will play a big part in that!

“Before Salesforce, impact was really seen as nobody’s job… Now it’s part of everyone’s working day, integrated into all aspects of the organisation, from comms to programs, from frontline to board.”

Continue to be inspired

To learn more about the incredible work Street Soccer does across the UK, please visit their website here, and follow their impressive Instagram account where they share stories, updates and news about their community-changing work.