Keith Mills has been a Stockport County fan for 75 years, although this represents just one small aspect of his energetic and ambitious character. 

Keith has also been a teacher, cook, referee, and - along with his similarly remarkable wife Jeanette - is the founder of Forever Friends of Uganda (FFoU), a huge fundraising effort aimed at transforming poor communities. 

Educating and inspiring village children is 'the heart' of what FFoU does; creating the conditions whereby children can realise careers and ambitions which would otherwise have been inaccessible. The transformative impacts this has on the village - let alone the children themselves - pays dividends in spades. 

FFoU's work has already produced a lawyer, a doctor, a radio journalist, several business starters, carpenters, builders, and more. 

University students Wasswa (middle) and Patience (far right) pictured with their mum, along with Jeanette and Keith (Image - FFoU)

This is not, however, the limit of FFoU's ambitions - such ambitions could hardly be contained within the scope of this article.

Such depth and range of FFoU's work owes, counterintuitively, to the charity's small size and intimate character. It means that Keith and Jeanette are involved in everything themselves, from presentations and fundraising on the one hand, to field work, building and visiting on the other. Each sponsor and trustee of the charity - many of them County fans - is directly aware of the impact their donation has. There are no 'middle men' here. The link between Stockport and Uganda - through Keith and Jeanette - is as streamlined and direct as possible. 

Explaining more about what FFoU does, Keith said: "The centre of what we do is child sponsorship. Kids have to pay to go to school in Uganda, and the kids in the villages where we work can't afford it. 

"We've got about 130 kids sponsored, from nursery school right through to university. 

"But we've also renovated an entire school - and added to it - and we've built another school entirely from scratch.

"We've also just inaugurated a skills centre for needy girls. Many of the girls we're trying to help were abused during lockdown. 

"The centre will teach them useful skills; sewing, crafts, cooking."

Education is at the heart of FFoU's work (Image - FFoU)

As well as direct educational improvements, FFoU is also behind the development of other infrastructure to support both schools and the community generally. 

A dormitory, for instance, would draw fee-paying students from the city, which would in-turn make FFoU's schools more self-sufficient. 

A new village well would also make a huge difference, given that as it stands water has to be imported via boda boda - a motorcycle taxi. 

With such a long list of projects, Keith is adamant that "we need to stick to the immediately possible." Such an outlook ensures that every initiative makes a real difference, and works in practice rather than just in theory. 

County defender Fraser Horsfall is a champion of FFoU, working as a player ambassador for the charity (Image - FFoU)

As one method of raising more money for all of these projects, Keith and Jeanette have enlisted the help of Stockport County. 

The most recent initiative is 'The Hatters Half', where County fan Andy Titley will be running a half marathon to raise some much-needed money. Proceeds from this fundraiser will go directly to the new skills centre and the well. You can donate to this fundraiser HERE.

Stalwart County defender Fraser Horsfall is also a keen ambassador for the charity, engaging with fans and championing FFoU. 

There are also occasional bucket collections at Edgeley Park, and County has even hosted Jeanette and Keith as corporate guests - on the pair's wedding anniversary, no less. 

From their home in Great Moor, Keith and Jeanette's work continues in earnest. 

You can find more information HERE.

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