Using the Power of Sport to Transform Young Lives
For many children growing up in low-income communities, access to education, positive role models and opportunities to develop life skills cannot be taken for granted.
OSCAR India is helping to change that.
Through a unique combination of football, education and leadership development, the charity supports more than 4,000 children and young people across some of India’s most disadvantaged communities. By using sport as a gateway to learning, OSCAR India helps participants build confidence, develop essential life skills and recognise their potential to create positive change in their own lives and communities.
Rather than focusing solely on sport, the organisation uses football as a powerful engagement tool to encourage school attendance, strengthen leadership skills and promote personal development. Young people are empowered to become role models for the next generation, creating a ripple effect that extends far beyond the football pitch.
Supporting Future Leaders
Benefact Group works closely with charities like OSCAR India to better understand the challenges they face and explore ways to provide support that goes beyond funding alone.
Alongside financial assistance, we aim to provide access to practical resources, fundraising support and learning opportunities that help charities build a stronger and more sustainable future.
In recognition of its outstanding work, OSCAR India was selected as one of our 2022 Movement for Good large grant winners.
Opening Doors Through International Learning
Our grant is helping to fund a truly life-changing opportunity for eight young leaders and two staff members from the OSCAR Foundation.
Hosted by the University of Edinburgh, the programme will bring together young people from marginalised communities in India for an immersive educational, cultural and sporting experience in Scotland.
For many participants, this will be their first opportunity to travel internationally. Some have overcome significant barriers simply to access education and opportunities that many people take for granted. The journey itself — from applying for a passport to boarding a plane and experiencing a new culture — represents a remarkable achievement.
During the visit, participants will:
- Engage with university students and academics
- Explore new cultures and perspectives
- Learn about global challenges and solutions
- Develop their leadership and communication skills
- Build lasting international friendships
- Experience new educational and sporting opportunities
The programme is designed to promote global citizenship while broadening horizons and raising aspirations.
Creating Impact Across Generations
The young people selected for the programme are already making a difference in their communities.
Many act as mentors, supporting up to 30 children each week through OSCAR Foundation programmes. By investing in their development, the benefits of the experience will extend far beyond the individuals involved.
Participants will return home with new knowledge, confidence and perspectives that they can share with:
- Fellow students
- Local communities
- Family members
- Future programme participants
- Young people they mentor
This multiplier effect is central to OSCAR India’s approach, empowering young leaders to become agents of change within their own communities.
Building Ambition and Opportunity
OSCAR Foundation works tirelessly to help children from low-income families stay in education, while providing life skills and football programmes that improve long-term outcomes.
The international tour builds on that mission by demonstrating what is possible when young people are given opportunities to learn, grow and lead.
The experience is expected to inspire more OSCAR graduates to remain engaged through the charity’s Alumni Programme, continue their education, challenge expectations around early marriage and pursue ambitious goals for themselves and their families.
Looking to the Future
OSCAR India demonstrates how sport can be far more than a game.
By combining football with education, mentoring and leadership development, the charity is helping young people build brighter futures for themselves and the communities around them.
The University of Edinburgh programme represents another important step in that journey, offering participants an opportunity that will broaden perspectives, develop leadership skills and inspire change for years to come.
As Lucinda Sowerbutts, Head of OSCAR International, explains:
“Expanding our International Tour Programme to include young adults will greatly enhance our work in India. It will inspire more OSCAR Foundation graduates to stay connected with us through the OSCAR Alumni Programme. The tour to the University of Edinburgh will empower them to continue their education, avoid early marriage and strive to transform their own lives and those of their families.”
Through programmes like these, OSCAR India is helping young people realise that their future is not defined by their circumstances, but by the opportunities, skills and confidence they gain along the way.
Fundraising Support
We work with charities like Oscar India, so we can better understand the challenges they face and how we can support, not just financially, but with materials and resources so they can develop a more sustainable future.
Oscar India was one of our 2022 Movement for Good large grant winners.