ECHO, which stands for Equality Coaching Healthy Options, is a project which encourages children to lead a healthier lifestyle through football and cricket. Fulham and Surrey first team players took part in a coaching session and photo-shoot involving local school children at Fulham's Motspur Park training ground on Wednesday.

Fulham's Mark Schwarzer, Brede Hangeland, Adrian Leijer and Julian Gray joined Surrey's Jonathan Batty and Laurie Evans to meet with children from St Bernadette Primary School in Lambeth as part of the Premier League's Creating Chances Places for Players initiative to help promote ECHO.

ECHO, which is in its third season in operation, uses professional sports to engage children in healthy lifestyles by promoting key health messages combined with structured football and cricket coaching. The project received a grant of £149,667 from the Football Foundation to support its work.

qualified coaching

The Fulham players had an opportunity to observe cricketers Evans and Batty sharpen up on their football skills before they were asked to don the white gloves and have a go at smashing a few sixes.

Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer said: "The ECHO project is a great way to get a variety of important health messages across to kids by providing nutritional information on balanced diets and encouraging them to take part in physical activity.

"ECHO provides a central platform for children to learn about ways of looking after their bodies and to enjoy sport."

Since the ECHO project was officially launched at the Brit Oval two seasons ago, coaches from Fulham's Community Sports Trust and Surrey Cricket have already delivered many coaching sessions and given talks to thousands of local primary schools pupils.

The project's primary objective is to reach 4,000 pupils from 72 schools each year with visits by qualified coaching staff from both teams.

Surrey wicketkeeper Batty added: "It is great to see the continuation of a truly wonderful scheme which benefits children directly for a third successive term. ECHO gives them a fantastic opportunity to get involved in sport at a young age and offer vital guidance on how to live a healthier lifestyle.

"The project is also a good example of successful collaboration and community partnership work between two major professional sports clubs benefiting the local community."

Richard Scudamore, Chief Executive of the Premier League, said: "Football's ability to inspire and engage communities is something that is now virtually universally accepted.

"What is less accepted is the sheer range, depth, quality and commitment of community work undertaken by the Premier League and our 20 member clubs. They are now working across a more diverse range of areas than ever, such as family learning, healthy eating, anti-social behaviour and tackling inequality."