PAUL Evenett s friends at Welwyn Tennis Club gave him an unusual retirement present – more than 30 tennis rackets and a big tub of balls. Not that he was prone to court rage and forever breaking rackets – there was a good reason

PAUL Evenett's friends at Welwyn Tennis Club gave him an unusual retirement present - more than 30 tennis rackets and a big tub of balls.

Not that he was prone to court rage and forever breaking rackets - there was a good reason for this gift to mark his departure from the Metropolitan Police.

Paul's daughter, Emily De Franca works for the Pao Da Vida (Bread of Life) project in Brazil. While back in England for a holiday, she thought it would be a great idea to buy some tennis rackets for the underprivileged street kids in Brazil. Which is why Paul's friends clubbed together and bought the bumper bundle - at a very advantageous price from Hit And Run Sports at Gosling Sports Park.

And Welwyn Tennis Club started an appeal for unwanted rackets from members. It all resulted in some very full suitcases for Emily's flight back to Brazil and a lot of happy kids at Pao Da Vida.

Emily has been working with children in Brazil since leaving university with a BA in anthropology.

As a child she had a passion for travel and other cultures and a compassionate heart. True to her Christian beliefs she took missionary courses and started to work with street children in the north east of Brazil in and around Recife.

She found herself working mainly with street boys many of whom were members of violent gangs. These children, some abandoned by their families or orphaned, are not supported in any way and are considered little better than vermin.

With little food and no love they readily turn to, drugs, glue sniffing and violence.

The Bread of Life project adopts these boys from about six to 17 years old and brings them into a protective home environment, feeding them, clothing them and loving them as is the right of all children.

The rackets certainly put a smile on their faces, which gave Paul a lot of pleasure from his present.

Since his retirement, Paul has started a business of his own called Jibajaba, dealing with Bluetooth communications technology - that's when he's not looking after the bar at Welwyn Tennis Club in his capacity as bar officer.

Anyone who wants to support this project (currently in the process of becoming a registered charity) can contact Paul Evenett at 2 Roman Way, Welwyn, Herts AL6 9RJ for more details.