AFC Wimbledon’s fan base is growing beyond these shores after season ticket holder Faz Ahmad’s latest charity mission to Africa.

While his beloved Dons were winning promotion to League One at Wembley, Ahmad was spreading the word about the club as part of a trip to Gambia with his family.

Ahmad, who volunteers with Tolworth-based charity Humanity First, helped pioneer a project to transform primary schools in Africa by painting the classrooms, putting up posters and building libraries.

There was also a visit to Hart House, the only place in Gambia which caters for special needs children, where Ahmad and his team provided essential aid.

In a previous trip three years ago, Ahmad took donated Dons shirts to an orphanage in Ivory Coast.

He said: “With the help of the Dons Trust, we managed to get eight to 10 shirts donated from AFC Wimbledon supporters for the trip to Gambia.

“We asked fans for these before the Accrington play-off semi-final at the Dons Trust cabin.

"When I arranged this trip with my family, I thought our season would be done and dusted, but then we went and beat Accrington.

"Though I missed my first important Dons match since 1988, I don’t regret it because it was a trip that meant everything to me."

He added: "A few fans donated money, and others donated shirts, including 'Super Don Riz', who gave his prized white 2011 promotion shirt.

"Many others including Paul Jeater, Matt Breach and Mark Davis supported the trip."

Being in such a remote area of the world meant Ahmad and his family could not keep tabs on the Wembley scoreline.

He said: “On the day of the final, we were working at a school in a village called Bakary Sambouya with no phone and no internet, certainly no way of finding out the result.

"I had a gut feeling we might not make it as Plymouth had been so strong against us earlier this season.

"When we got home that evening, and found out the score, they could hear me screaming in Senegal."

Ahmad wanted to thank Dons fans for their support with the project.

You can follow the story of what happened and see more photos here.

For more information about Humanity First and their work go to www.uk.humanityfirst.org or Twitter @humanityfirstuk.