Soccer Aid for UNICEF brings together parliamentarians and stars to champion children as UK aid reaches critical crossroads
UNICEF UK hosts a parliamentary reception at Westminster to celebrate 20 years of Soccer Aid for UNICEF – and calls on the UK Government to prioritise the most vulnerable children around the world.
London, 13 May 2026 – UNICEF UK tonight welcomed government ministers, members of parliament and peers from the House of Lords to a special parliamentary reception at Portcullis House, Westminster, to celebrate 20 years of Soccer Aid for UNICEF and the extraordinary difference UK aid has made to children’s lives around the world.
Since its founding in 2006, Soccer Aid for UNICEF has raised £121 million, funding life-saving healthcare, nutrition, education and protection for millions of children in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.
Tonight’s event brought together celebrity supporters, UNICEF ambassadors and experts from conflict-affected countries, alongside political figures to mark that milestone – and to look ahead at what more can be achieved.
When children have the vital support they need, they grow into adults who strengthen their communities and contribute to a more stable world – and every £1 invested in children through UK aid leads to £10 in benefits to their wider community.
Today, more children than ever are surviving to age five, thanks in part to decades of UK leadership in global development. Yet that progress is now under pressure. UK aid cuts have fallen disproportionately on children, with child-focused bilateral aid dropping by 57% between 2019 and 2023, faster than cuts to aid overall. The UK aid budget is set to fall further still to 0.3% of GNI by 2027, and education, nutrition and health programmes in Africa are already feeling the consequences.
The UK public has shown, through two decades of Soccer Aid for UNICEF, that they care deeply about children around the world. Tonight, UNICEF UK is asking parliamentarians to carry that same spirit into government.
UNICEF UK is calling on the UK government to commit to spending at least 25% of its Official Development Assistance (ODA) on child-focused work – investing in the life-saving healthcare, nutrition and education that children need to survive and thrive. We’re urging Ministers to work with communities and local governments to ensure aid programmes can withstand the increasing impacts of climate change, building resilient systems that protect children for the long term.
Dr Philip Goodwin, CEO, UNICEF UK: “Tonight is a moment to celebrate something remarkable – twenty years of Soccer Aid for UNICEF, and £121 million raised for children around the world. But we cannot celebrate without acknowledging what’s at stake. For the first time this century, global under-five mortality is expected to rise, and child and maternal nutrition programmes are among the casualties of aid cuts. We’re asking the UK government to match the ambition of the British public, by committing at least 25% of UK aid to child-focused work.”
Lord Jack McConnell, Vice President, UNICEF UK: “Every child should be able to grow, play and thrive, but millions never get that chance. Globally, nearly one billion children are at risk from conflict and climate change, and there couldn’t be a more critical moment for the UK to show leadership and put children’s safety and security at the heart of our role in the world. Soccer Aid for UNICEF shows the British public at their very best, caring about and supporting this cause. I hope my fellow parliamentarians share that commitment and are ready to step up and deliver.”
Sanjeev Bhaskar, UNICEF UK Ambassador: “What an incredible evening – bringing together so many people who care deeply about children around the world. It takes me back to visiting Malawi with UNICEF in 2019, meeting children in safe spaces to learn, at health clinics, and families whose lives depend on these programmes. Malawi is one of the countries most at risk from aid cuts, and I think about those families when I hear that.”
Levison Wood, UNICEF UK Ambassador: “Tonight’s event has been a real reminder of why this work matters. At COP30, I met incredible young climate advocates fighting passionately for their futures and communities. But the direction of UK climate aid gives me real concern for the children on the frontline of the climate crisis in the world’s poorest countries. In the DRC I met children who had been through unimaginable experiences, being given a second chance through UNICEF support. That lifeline should be available to every child who needs it.”
Dagmawit Bedilu Dingetu, UNICEF Youth Advocate, Ethiopia: “Growing up in Ethiopia, I watched classmates disappear from school because of preventable diseases. Some never returned. Through my work with UNICEF, I have seen what even modest interventions can achieve – basic health services, reliable information, community engagement. But I have also seen how stretched these systems are. The UK has a proud legacy of global development leadership. I hope tonight marks a renewed commitment to keeping children and women at the heart of it.”
ENDS
For more information, please contact UNICEF UK Media team at [email protected] or 0208 375 6030.
About Soccer Aid for UNICEF
Soccer Aid for UNICEF 2026 will take place on Sunday 31 May at the London Stadium and will be broadcast live exclusively on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
Over the last 20 years, Soccer Aid for UNICEF has united millions of people and raised over £121 million to support UNICEF’s vital work helping children grow up safe, healthy and able to play.
Right now, children around the world are facing devastating crises – from global aid cuts, war and climate change to hunger and disease – threatening their childhoods and their right to play.
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) raises funds for UNICEF’s emergency and development work for children. We also promote and protect children’s rights in the UK and internationally. We are a UK charity, entirely funded by supporters.
United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), Registered Charity No. 1072612 (England & Wales), SC043677 (Scotland).
For more information visit unicef.org.uk. Follow UNICEF UK on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.