New River Stadium in North London was transformed into a hub of collaboration, youth empowerment, and social mobility on July 9th, 2025. The Cloud Cup 2025, a 7-a-side charity football tournament, was co-hosted by Microsoft and Google colleagues and brought together 16 fintech companies to support Urban Synergy’s mission of inspiring, guiding, and igniting the ambitions of young people to excel in education and work.
The tournament saw over 110 players from various companies, including Accenture, AEG Europe, Avanade, and Barclays, compete to raise funds for mentoring, skill-building workshops, and work experience opportunities for young people. The event was organized and funded by Microsoft’s Francis Nwofor, with support from Google and other corporate sponsors, ensuring that 100% of donations went directly to Urban Synergy.
After a day of fierce competition, Mastercard emerged as the overall winners of the tournament, with all teams showing great sportsmanship and determination. Leila Thomas, Founder and CEO of Urban Synergy, expressed her gratitude to Microsoft and Google colleagues for choosing the charity as the beneficiary of the event and thanked Francis Nwofor for organizing such a successful tournament.
She added, “It’s great to see companies coming together in this way to support our cause and help provide young people with the education, business role models, and work experience opportunities they need to thrive.”
In addition to the corporate teams, several “alumni” volunteers who have previously benefitted from Urban Synergy’s program also came to support the charity at the tournament. One such volunteer, Success, now employed at M&G, said, “I was happily surprised to see so many people playing. There’s a vast range of people here supporting the charity. I spoke to a lot of them about Urban Synergy, and they were really approachable and friendly.”
Not only was the tournament a day of friendly competition, but it also had a significant social impact, directly supporting Urban Synergy’s work with young people aged 9-24 by bridging the gap between aspirations and real-world career opportunities.
Toni from RBC BlueBay, one of the few female players in the tournament, spoke about her experience, saying, “The matches are a ‘walk in the park’ for me. I’ve been playing since I was very young. We have a strong company team, and this is a great opportunity to network with other organizations. I’m delighted to play for Urban Synergy. A youth organization helped me gain work experience, and I’m happy to support that cause.”
The event was made possible by the support and generosity of all participants, volunteers, sponsors, and donors. Urban Synergy extends a heartfelt thank you to everyone involved for their energy, commitment, and dedication to making a positive change in the lives of young people.
For those who missed this year’s event, there will be more opportunities to get involved in 2026. You can learn more about Urban Synergy and donate on their website, become a corporate partner, or participate in their upcoming Golf Day 2026 fundraiser. Alternatively, you can contact the organization for more information and to get involved in their mission to support underrepresented communities and help young people reach their full potential.
Founded in 2007, Urban Synergy is a mentoring charity that has supported over 35,000 young people from underrepresented communities by equipping them with the skills, confidence, and opportunities to achieve their full potential. The organization continues to work towards its mission of inspiring, guiding, and igniting the ambitions of young people to excel in education and work.