CHARITY INFORMATION

QPR chose International Service and their ‘Coaching for Hope’ scheme as their nominated charity for 2006. Launched in 2005, ‘Coaching for Hope’ uses football to make a positive impact on the lives of disadvantaged children living in developing countries. The £1250 grant from Field of Dreams provided food, water and art materials to 100 orphaned children who took part in the Coaching for Hope football school in Burkino Faso, West Africa.

The project trains local and youth workers to deliver football and HIV/ Aids awareness training, providing something positive for children to do in their free time, opportunities to socialise in a safe setting and develop new skills and abilities such as team work, whilst delivering crucial messages of healthy living.

In 2005, the Rampage Retired Holiday Project for Senior Citizens received £1,000 as a result of the Football Aid game at Loftus Road. The Rampage Holiday Project organises holidays for retired and elderly people. The grant was used to pay holiday couriers costs involving Bed and Board for volunteer couriers to accompany a large group of pensioners on a coach holiday to a location in England. The volunteers organise local outings and trips once on the holiday whilst also generally assisting the senior citizens.

In addition, Kids Active, who promote through the medium of play, the education and development of children with a range of disabilities, received £1,044 which helped employ a sessional play worker for the Michael Williams Playground in London. Nick Stanhope explained the difference the play worker has made, "For the disabled children, the play worker offers structured and unstructured play sessions in a safe but challenging and stimulating environment. For their parents, these sessions, running from 3.30pm to 5.30pm, provide crucial respite from the vast responsibilities of raising a disabled child, as well as time to spend with their other children."

Finally, Hammersmith and Fulham Pre-School Learning Alliance were delighted to accept a grant of £1,044 in 2003. This allowed the organisation which aims to promote pre-school play, education and development in the community, to purchase a laptop computer, printer and software in order to improve communication with parents and ease the strain of administrative functions.