Find a Better Way

It began with trips to Bosnia and Cambodia. That's when Sir Bobby Charlton, a retired football legend from Great Britain, realized the severity of the deadly crisis posed by land mines.

A 1966 World Cup winner who defined his career playing for Manchester United—where he was renowned for his impressive long-range shots and defensive instincts—Sir Bobby visited the two countries on behalf of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, a London-based charity that uses the positive influence of sports to tackle pressing challenges around the globe. Sir Bobby met with locals in Bosnia and Cambodia as part of the foundation's "Spirit of Soccer" initiative, which helps football coaches teach kids about the risks of land mines—a lethal legacy from years of war.

Sir Bobby chatted with youngsters maimed by mines. While humbled by their courage to make the best of their lives, he was haunted by the massive scope of the problem. Their love of football led them to play in areas known to contain mines—and many paid the price with missing limbs. The even less fortunate lost their lives.

Stepping Up

After returning from Cambodia in 2007, Sir Bobby couldn't stop thinking about the estimated millions of mines scattered among thousands of villages. "I thought, 'This is ridiculous,'" he recalls. It may take 200 years to clear all the mines. Something must be done to stop it."

He discovered Rapiscan, the world's leading security screening provider, which is now working to apply its technology to mine detection. He also conferred with engineers and scientists at the University of Manchester and Lancaster University about potential advances to locate mines in the ground and deactivate them.

Inspiring Others to Act

In 2010, Sir Bobby, 73, launched a landmine clearance initiative to speed detection and removal of mines in former war zones. He involved the Mines Advisory Group, a global nonprofit organization with an office in Manchester, as well as experts who could devise solutions. One experiment, for example, consisted of laying sheets of the material used in body armor across minefields to trigger explosions of existing ordnance. This approach would eliminate the costly process of digging up mines and additional explosive devices one by one.

His mission and passion were shared with Aon, the principal sponsor of Manchester United, where Sir Bobby serves as a director. Aon immediately saw the connection between Sir Bobby's cause and the firm's commitment to solving risk and people challenges.

Aon is a founding supporter of Find a Better Way, and its support of the charity now represents the company's first-ever global corporate social responsibility initiative. Steve McGill, chairman and chief executive officer, Aon Risk Solutions, and his wife, Liz, are passionate supporters of Find a Better Way. In fact, both serve as trustees of the newly registered charity.

By spotlighting both the problem and possible solutions, Sir Bobby and the organizations involved in Find a Better Way are spreading hope and inspiration among concerned citizens and organizations around the world. Consider the response of Aon/Albert G. Ruben, Aon's retail brokerage practice that specializes in risk solutions for the global entertainment industry. As an early signal of the groundswell of support across Aon, the business sought donations on its Facebook page with a succinct appeal: "Would you like to contribute and be a part of something that will change thousands of lives?"

Sir Bobby has also garnered the support of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson as well as the players.

"If you're a footballer, one of the worst things that can ever happen is you lose your leg," Sir Bobby says. "This is happening to these little kids without them even having the chance to be a footballer."

Helping the 'Joshuas' dream come true

At the Joshua Youth Development and Service Programme—located in an inner-city residential neighborhood of Johannesburg, South Africa— Aon colleagues are committed to preparing future leaders of tomorrow.