SWINDON Town will be making an appearance in Parliament today as the club’s community work in Zambia is used as an example for others to follow.

Football in the Community Trust manager Jon Holloway will address an audience of politicians, including sports minister Hugh Robertson, sports administrators, club representatives and non-governmental officials at a Westminster conference, highlighting the strength of the Robins’ work in the African country over the course of the past six years.

Similar programmes conducted by Charlton Athletic and Notts County will also be under the microscope at an event co-chaired by Devizes MP Claire Perry.

The aim of the conference is to gain the support of the audience for a project designed to encourage Premiership and Football League clubs to set up international links and partnerships, thereby enabling the communities at both ends to reap the benefits.

Andrew Deuchar, director of Marlborough-based charity BUILD, who has led the initiative, said: “Anyone who has travelled through Africa, Asia and the Caribbean will know the amazing popularity of British football.

"Even in the most isolated villages you will find children wearing the strips of famous English clubs.

“This project aims to use this popularity in order to make a real difference to communities, both in the developing world and in the local communities in which all clubs are already doing such excellent work through their community foundations.”