Hi, I’m Charlie, a keen football and hockey player at Bradfield College, and I’ll be going into the Lower Sixth this September.

This October I’ll be travelling to India with four of my football friends from Bradfield College to work with the OSCAR Foundation, supporting local communities through football coaching, mentoring and education projects across Mumbai and rural Karnataka. I feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to be part of what promises to be such an eye-opening and inspiring experience.

The trip will give us the opportunity to work directly with young people, using sport as a way to build confidence, teamwork and opportunity. We’ll be helping deliver football coaching sessions, teaching English, supporting community projects and spending time with children from a wide range of backgrounds and communities.

The OSCAR Foundation’s mission is to create a world where underprivileged girls and boys living in the slums of India can become role models within their own communities. Using the power of football, OSCAR teaches the importance of education, with every child in the programme required to attend school. Their work helps provide young people with the tools and opportunities needed to break the cycle of poverty for future generations.

The impact the charity has made is incredible. Since 2010, OSCAR has empowered over 14,000 children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. More than 7,500 children currently engage in OSCAR programmes, nearly 50% of whom are girls. The organisation has also trained over 750 Young Leaders and given more than 125 girls and boys the opportunity to take part in international tours.

We’ll begin in Mumbai, working alongside the OSCAR Foundation team and local young leaders, before travelling to rural Karnataka where we’ll experience a very different side of India and support communities outside of the city. The trip is designed not only to give back, but also to help us learn, grow and gain perspective through the experience.

As part of the trip, I’m aiming to raise £1,500 to support the foundation’s ongoing work and help provide equipment, coaching, education and resources for the communities they support. We’ll also be looking to source spare kits, laptops and phones where possible to donate during the trip.

Any donation, no matter how big or small, would mean a huge amount and will go directly towards supporting the amazing work the OSCAR Foundation continues to do. Thank you so much for your support!