Nottingham Forest are delighted to announce that Balls to Poverty is to be its nominated charity for the new season.

Balls to Poverty is a project based at South Nottinghamshire College in West Bridgford which aims to provide opportunities for youngsters both in Nottingham and in South Africa.

The project, which has been running for five years, allows students from the college to deliver coaching clinics both to schoolchildren in South African townships and back home in Nottingham.
Since its launch in 2005, 164 students have distributed 21,000 thousand footballs and coached more than 23,000 children.

And by the time the World Cup kicks off in South Africa next summer, the project hopes to have delivered 35,000 footballs and 10,000 rugby balls to children in townships.

Forest already have close links with Balls to Poverty and earlier this year Reds star Julian Bennett spent a fortnight in South Africa with students from the college.

Forest's Chief Executive Mark Arthur said: "We are proud of the fantastic relationship we have with South Nottingham College.

"By making Balls to Poverty our nominated charity for the 2009-10 season, we can really make a difference to communities both in Nottingham and further afield."

The project is the brainchild of South Nottingham College Director of Athlete Performance Programmes, Joe Sargison.

He said: "We feel very honoured to have been selected by the club for the development of our charity.

"We have had a very strong relationship with Forest since the start of the project and through our activities, supporters and members of the club may be a lot more involved in the work we do in communities both here and in South Africa.

"Our young role models are making a very positive contribution in communities across Nottingham and South Africa and through the affiliation with the club we look to develop even stronger relationships and do even more long lasting work."