Sport For All,
Wildlife Forever.
The Bola Bola
Foundation
Our Story
Our work is driven by a commitment to wildlife and the people who live alongside it, using football as a powerful tool to engage and empower communities connected to some of the world’s most important natural environments.
Our journey began in 2018 when Bola Bola founder Steffan Perkins donated a football kit from his local club to a school in the Rwenzori region of Uganda.
What started as a simple gesture quickly turned into an impromptu coaching session, revealing the powerful impact sport could have in bringing young people together.
Inspired by this experience, he returned to the UK and began collecting kits and equipment from across Surrey.
With this support, Bola Bola launched a more structured football programme in the southern region of Kafue National Park in Zambia, working alongside local partners including Game Rangers International.
Building on the enjoyment and success of our work in Zambia, we have since expanded our programmes across Africa and into Asia with the support of our partners.
Today, we use football to promote community engagement, youth development, and environmental awareness, creating opportunities for young people to connect, grow, and play their part in protecting the landscapes around them.
Where we Work
Our Impact
Over 1,000 Young People Engaged
We have provided coaching and training for over 1,000 young people living in communities surrounding National Parks in Zambia, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and India, and trained 95 accredited coaches and referees to build local capacity.
Tournaments, training and education for Girls
Almost half our project participants are girls and women, and we have helped to establish girl's and women's leagues and follow-on tournaments in Zambia and India, supporting female empowerment and education across our project areas.
Over 45 Tournaments Run and Kit Donated
We have run more than 45 football tournaments and donated more than 185 team kits and more than 650 footballs and other football equipment to teams and NGO partners in our project areas.
Youth Development and Education Programme
We have built an education centre and hired a full-time teacher to deliver an education programme at our football community conservation and education centre on the edge of Kafue National Park, Zambia.
In The News
Our work has been featured in the Champions League Journal and the Indian Press in The Purbottar and the Guwahati Observer.
About Us
The Bola Bola Foundation is a UK-based charity that works with partner conservation organisations around the world to deliver football training, tournaments and infrastructure for communities living close to National Parks and Nature Reserves to support education, women's rights and empowerment, and winning local support for wildlife conservation.
Our Founders
Steffan Perkins
Steffan has been a keen football player and coach in Surrey for over twenty years, runs his own building company, and was made Anglo- Zambian football director by the Zambian Football Association (FAZ).
Alberto Marco
Alberto is a football coach and professional referee with experience in both Spain and England, who began his journey at Levante Academy, developed his understanding of the game the foundation of his coaching career.
Our Trustees
Alan Whiter
Alan has worked across sport and entertainment for the past 30 years and is currently CCO at Twelfthman, a global brand, creative and digital agency.
Lucy Blaiklock
Lucy is an Executive Director in the Fixed Income Division at Morgan Stanley. She represented Scotland in alpine ski racing and is committed to the transformative impact of sport on young people’s lives.
Dr Richard Milburn MBE
Richard has worked in the conservation sector for over a decade, is the author of Killing the Trade, and an academic in the Department of War Studies, King's College London.
Our Partners
Contact Us
If you would like to find out more about our work, or to support or partner with us, please get in touch using the form below and we'll reply as soon as possible.