Wolves captain Danny Batth to tackle homelessness in city with new charity foundation - with PICTURES

Foundation DB will raise money and support three charities close to Batth's heart.

He and partner Natalie Ann Cutler unveiled the ambitious project in Birmingham today with fundraising ideas including a sleep-in on the Molineux turf.

Batth has a host of fundraising initiatives planned with the aim of backing the three charities.

They are YMCA Open Door, which provides accommodation for homeless people in Wolverhampton, Football for Peace and Yuwa, an Indian charity which combats child marriage by getting young girls into sport and education.

Batth and Cutler spent time in India earlier this summer. The Wolves skipper has a Punjabi background through his father.

Brierley Hill-born Batth, who has been at Wolves since the age of 10, said: "As a foundation our goal is to provide vulnerable kids with the opportunity to fulfil their dreams.

"We're going to help people help ourselves.

"As a teenager growing up I was very aware of the support and sacrifices my parents made. My father used to work in Aberystwyth and every night he'd drive back just to take me to football.

"I want to actually have an impact."

Batth had previously worked with the Big Issue selling copies on the streets of Wolverhampton and Cutler is no strange to charitable work having highlighted the plight of acid attack victims in India during her recent debut documentary film, Not In Vain.

And now the pair will focus specifically on their three chosen charities. Cutler is also producing another documentary on her and Batth's recent trip to India where the Wolves skipper helped coach football sessions for young girls at risk of forced marriages.

One of Batth's three beneficiaries, Rachael Taylor from YMCA Open Door which helps homeless people off the streets in Wolverhampton, outlined the impact that Batth's help will have.

"It's like winning the lottery," she said.

"When I got that phonecall I was absolutely delighted.

"The biggest problem we have is that no one's heard of us. We have an advertising budget of £1,000 a year and that includes leaflets. So this will really help."

As an example of his commitment to his charitable exploits Batth will spend his 27th birthday next month hosting a kids' party at the home of ex-team mate Dave Edwards' Little Rascals Foundation in Shrewsbury.

"We've got a few events planned," Batth said. "It's my birthday on September 21 so I thought why not invite along some young boys and girls to have a party with us at Dave Edwards' Little Rascals Foundation.

"Parents will have the opportunity to bring along their kids and meet me and Dave. It's about trying to get people to interact with the foundation."

A glamorous Christmas ball and a sleep-in on the Molineux pitch to raise the plight of homelessness are also planned.

Miss Cutler said: "We're planning to host a few events a year that will bring in money and also offer external opportunities for people to fundraise for us - such as at the London Marathon.

Batth added: "This has been about three years in the making. After I established myself at Wolves a bit I started thinking what can I do to help people and help put this effort in the right direction.

"With the foundation I've got that opportunity to make sure these three good causes are going to receive some benefit from us helping them, rather than me just being a face on a picture."

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