Charity seals deal with Rangers

Rangers have become the first Scottish club to sign the deal with Unicef

Rangers Football Club has announced a "landmark" partnership with Unicef to help improve children's education in India.

The Glasgow team have become the charity's only Scottish partner, joining other clubs such as Barcelona, AC Milan and Manchester United.

Rangers has pledged to raise £300,000 by 2011.

The money will pay for a Unicef project in India which will reach more than 45,000 children across 15 states.

Rangers and Scotland captain Barry Ferguson will travel to India to see the work being done.

"I'm looking forward to it," he said. "It is something that has touched us and it's something I've always wanted to be involved in.

"Everyone at the club is very proud of this new venture and I believe that we can make a real difference and that the power of sport can help us to spread Unicef's message of hope for vulnerable children."

Together, our partnership will make a real and decisive difference to whole communities across India Anne Shinkwin Unicef

According to the international charity, about five million children aged between six and 11, the majority of them girls, do not receive a school education in India and conditions in schools in the country are often poor.#

Money raised by the partnership will help buy books and other teaching and classroom materials, and pay for teacher training and better water quality and sanitation in schools.

Rangers chairman, Sir David Murray, said: "It is a huge landmark for the Rangers Charity Foundation to establish this partnership with Unicef and join some of the biggest clubs in the world as one of their football partners."

Anne Shinkwin, Unicef UK director of corporate fundraising, also welcomed the tie-up.

She said: "Together, our partnership will make a real and decisive difference to whole communities across India."

Manchester United have had a partnership with Unicef for almost a decade and Barcelona broke with club tradition to carry the charity's name on the front of their strip.

The Rangers Charity Foundation was created in 2002 and has since donated £1.12m to good causes.