Simon Milton is leaving Ipswich Town after 30 years, having decided to join Ghana-based shipping company OMA Group.

The company are a client of Milton’s and have sponsored the Blues’ academy for four years.

In return for sponsorship, OMA director Gary Miller wanted Milton to oversee a Corporate Responsibility Programme (CSR), called #futurestars in the west African country.

Milton, who has been appointed as Corporate Social Responsibility & #futurestars Director said: “Gary wanted me to oversee a project involving sport, education, football, for young boys and girls in the area where they worked because they really wanted to give something back to the country and they wanted the expertise of Ipswich Town.”

He added: “They became academy sponsors, I went out to Ghana – I have been out there six or seven times in the last three years – and we designed a project which sees us work with five schools at the moment.

“We employ two coaches who completely take over the physical education aspect of the school, as they don’t have PE teachers.

“In the morning the coaches work in the schools and in the afternoon, work with the best young footballers to help them try and improve. They also work with the girls too.”

The project has grown in stature, Titus Bramble heading out to Ghana last year to help.

Milton added: “The project was funded by two companies, OMA Group and Yinson – an oil and marine shipping company – and I said they needed to get more people involved and suggested they made it a charity.

“They asked me if this was something I would want to get involved in (full-time) and when I looked at how rewarding the role is, it is the ideal job for me.

“We have got some brilliant ideas to improve and expand.”

Milton will be busy, given the number of children in Tema, just outside Ghana’s capital, Accra.

“We’re working with five schools and there is about 400 schools there of the same age group – Tema being about a tenth the size of Accra.

“We can’t change the world but we can make a big difference.”

OMA will continue to sponsor Town’s academy, and Town will continue to support OMA in Ghana.