OFFSIDE/REX FEATURES


changed my life. Wouldn’t it be great if I could change one kid’s life too?” The academy is in the process of being relaunched as a nationwide entity, but already 40,000 children have been through the doors. Beckham says the academy is one of his greatest achieve- ments. “The academies are a dream come true and something I’m very proud of,” he says. “Many footballers


help others. We’re not such a bad lot.” It’s not just the players individually


who do a great deal to help others. Aston Villa, for example, help Acorns Chil- dren’s Hospice to the tune of £9 million a year. At a national level, the England team has set up the Team England Footballers Charity through which all players are donating money in the build- up to the World Cup in an effort to raise at least £1 million for charitable causes through the donation of match fees. England team member Gareth Barry comments, “It’s not just about playing football. We realise we can use our status to improve people’s lives.”


Read more in the June issue of Reader’s Digest


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