The mission of the Oscar Foundation is to create a world which enables underprivileged girls and boys living in the slums in India to become role models within their communities. They use the power of football (and more recently cricket too!) to teach the importance of education and all Oscar children must attend school. Education helps transform disadvantaged communities and provides young people with the tools they need to fight poverty for future generations.

I have visited both the urban slums of Mumbai and the rural hardship of Karnataka to witness the work of Oscar first-hand and to meet some of the 35,000+ children and their families, they have helped since setting out 15 years ago....for those of us lucky enough to live a comparatively privileged existence in the UK, the contrast could not be greater! My personal support for Oscar also stems from the fact that it is co-run by my stepsister!

If you can, please support Oscar’s work by sponsoring me on my hike through the Himalayas, up to 13,000 feet above sea-level, where the terrain, the weather and significantly thinner air will combine for a truly physical challenge.