Budding sports stars will be given the chance to learn football and social skills at a programme that also helps young people in the developing world.

Adam Waters runs the London office of international company Super Soccer Stars, which was founded in New York 15 years ago and has grown to become the biggest provider of child development football classes in America.

Now, the project has been brought to England – and Harrow - and Mr Waters, of The Chase, Stanmore, has begun launching classes in the borough.

He said: “The reason why we are unique and different is because we are not simply a football programme - we are, first and foremost, a child development programme that just uses football as a tool to help young child learn and develop.

“We know that at a young age, it is difficult for a child to settle, and tend to find it can take about two or three sessions for them to do so as this may be the first time they have interacted with other children or adults that aren’t their family, so we work to integrate them with others and develop their social skills.

“As they start to get older, we play games where they learn to share and interact, and also really start to focus on the football development while keeping all the other development areas going.”

A partnership with Cedars Children's Centre, in Whittlesea Road, Hatch End, and Bannister Sports Centre, in Uxbridge Road, Stanmore, has already been agreed for the programme, which is aimed at children from one to five-years-old and focuses on football skills alongside cognitive, social and emotional development.

The programme is also a charity, which runs yearly trips to poor communities in Zimbabwe and Brazil and donates clothes, football equipment, and running educational courses for children and adults in those communities.

Mr Waters added: “The business side of Supper Soccer Stars funds our charity, so when parents sign up they are inadvertently donating money towards our work with the Round Star Foundation.

“Whenever we run our yearly trips abroad, we also try to push for donations so that we can take out even more donations or reach even more people.”

For more information, visit supersoccerstars.com or call 0208 945 7171.