The Premier League has continued its support as a primary funding partner for the children's charity Magic Bus.

A commitment of over £584,000 has been made by the Premier League, which will enable Magic Bus to deliver its programme to four districts in Delhi and Andhra Pradesh in India, reaching approximately 80,000 children by 2011 and continuing thereafter.

The Premier League has already been a major supporter of Magic Bus, having assisted them in developing their work in Mumbai over the past three years.

Magic Bus uses the power of football to bridge social divides and release the potential of children living in poverty in many parts of India.

Local young people are trained as Mentors to run Sport for Development sessions, which helps bring many positive changes in the children, the Mentors themselves and the community as a whole.

Magic Bus is an Indian Sport for Development charity using the medium of sport to reach out to thousands of underprivileged children across India. It works with local communities to develop Mentors and Community Sports Coaches who work with children.

The objective is to provide a safe environment for children to learn, play and empower them with positive experiences that would enable them to discover and develop.

So far, Magic Bus has reached out to 140,000 children and young people and aims to reach out to over 600,000 Indian children by 2013 and a million by 2014.

Matthew Spacie, Founder of Magic Bus, said: "Play is a universal child's right, but more than that it builds confidence and self-belief and creates a purpose in life for those marginalised in society.

"The Premier League are a testament to the positive power of football and how the world's most popular sport can be used to bring about fundamental changes at the grassroots."

Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt added: "Sport is a fantastic way of reaching out to young people, inspiring them to learn new skills and a chance to escape lives of hardship and poverty. However this can only be achieved if the tools are there on the ground to support them and give them the means to achieve their ambitions.

"That's why this commitment from the Premier League to Magic Bus is fantastic, helping to develop talented and purposeful young people who would not have otherwise had access to sport."

The Premier League is involved in a wide range of community-focused activities through its 'Creating Chances' programme, both in the UK and all around the world.

Last season saw more than 1.6m people take part in these activities. For more details on Creating Chances and to read more about the work of the Premier League around the world, click here. To find out more about Magic Bus, click here.