Ex-West Brom star Jonas Olsson kicks off new charity foundation to help children in India

The Jonas Olsson Foundation will work alongside the Delhi charity Breathe Easy India that helps improve living conditions at the Bapu School in the Bhagwanpura slum of the capital.

The lofty Swedish centre-back, who recently left the Baggies after nine successful years, visited Delhi last summer with club charity The Albion Foundation.

Touched by what he witnessed, the 34 year old is now planning to help keep children healthy and safe through the medium of football.

His charity will provide medical examinations and nutritious meals, as well as football coaching at a local sports facility.

And he's urged Baggies fans to help by donating children's football shirts, short and boots to kit banks at the club's ticket office, the stadium megastore or the Merry Hill club shop.

There will also be a drop-off point in the Fanzone before next Saturday's home game against Southampton.

"As soon as I visited Bapu School I knew I would not be able to rest until I had done something significant to help the children there," said Olsson.

"We are not naive and know that their problems cannot be solved overnight.

"Football is the driving force for the programme and will be the focus around which we implement a number of social projects.

"However, their needs are great and we know that sport alone will not assist them in their day-to-day lives.

"Sanitation, healthcare and nutrition are areas we are fully focussed on improving.

"We have already seen that football sessions are proving popular with the children and sessions have increased in size from 30 to 60 children.

"The kit amnesty enables supporters to be a part of this, to feel proud they have contributed something.

"During the football sessions I noticed the kids were wearing really terrible shoes. Mismatching, the wrong size, or completely destroyed, not one child had appropriate footwear.

"I hope there are Albion fans out there who can help with that.

"We'd also like to send old shirts for the children.

"It would be really something to see 60 children running through the slum in blue-and-white stripes, knowing that there is a group of people a few thousand miles away that care about them.

"This is going to be one hell of a journey Baggies fans and I need your help."

Olsson was a fan favourite at The Hawthorns and helped establish the club in the Premier League.

The club recently mutually agreed to terminate his contract three months early so he could return to Sweden to play for Djurgarden IF.

But he is retaining strong links with the Baggies through his new charity, which members of the club helped him to set up.

Breathe Easy founder Aanchal Bathia said: "Jonas was a gentleman during his visit to Delhi last May.

"The children immediately took him to their hearts and we are all delighted that Jonas will feature in their futures.

"Slum kids have very little to look forward to but Jonas' financial and emotional commitment means they now have football to focus their minds.

"But it is much more than that - in addition to football, and with Jonas' support, we are able to provide them with healthcare, education and nutritious meals.

"We look forward to welcoming Jonas back to Delhi when he will be able to witness with his own eyes the impact he has had on the children at Bapu School."