PROJECT FRONT FRONT UPDATE

By Vic Mills

It's close to a year since I first wrote to you about Project Front Foot. Much has happened in the intervening months. I am, in fact, just back from a second successful trip to Mumbai where I was able to deliver a further 140 kilos of kit to our various partners.
To summarise the past twelve months:
Due to the volume of kit taken to Mumbai in October 2009 and March 2010 we have been able to extend our original intent beyond Dharavi and place kit with an orphanage in Chembur along with three schools in villages close to Mumbai.
The hope, during an extended return visit this coming autumn, is to set up and run a series of coaching clinics at the Chembur orphanage and at those schools in rural Maharashtra with which we have links.
During my recent visit I was able to strengthen ties with the Indian Gymkhana Club at King's Circle. We currently run coaching sessions at the ground three mornings a week between 9 and 11. With an expected increase in coaches for the start of next season we hope to add a further morning session.
During the June to September close season, Chris Way and Krishna Pujari, who run PFF in Mumbai from their Dharavi Community Centre, will put together a fixture list of some sixteen games for next season.
We already have October 24 pencilled in as the PFF Big Bash: a sponsored day-long tournament involving teams from Dharavi and Chembur. The event will be held on the small grassed oval in the orphanage grounds. The format and number of teams has yet to be finalised, but is likely to resemble our version of the Indian Premier League.
While in Mumbai I was able to meet with the Principal of St Xavier's College, Father Frazer Mascarenhas. The hope, once the exam season is over, is that some of his students will help with the coaching duties at our King's Circle ground.
As we look towards another Kit 4 Kids appeal in the coming weeks, the hope is to take PFF into the neighbouring counties of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire.
PFF is currently the subject of a project by third year media students at Lincoln University. On my recent return from Mumbai I was able to hand over four hours of footage shot in and around Dharavi.
We continue to receive positive support from the local media courtesy of BBC Radio Lincolnshire and the Lincolnshire Echo. We remain indebted to British Airways for their continued support.
Online since August last year, all of the above can be found in greater detail on the PFF website www.projectfrontfoot.org and includes all the latest news, blogs, and picture galleries.
If your club is able to provide kit of any kind - age range 8-18 years - then do let me know and we can organise collection or delivery. I can always be contacted on vsmmedia@hotmail.co.uk. Many thanks, once again, for your time and interest. I look forward to hearing from you.