Birmingham Future backs sports charity initiative
A SUCCESSFUL Birmingham businessman and three of the city’s aspiring future leaders are turning their skills to mentoring grass-roots sports and community groups in the area.
Birmingham Future – the youth wing of the professional services lobbying body Birmingham Forward – has teamed up with charity Sported to aid the development of sports groups and facilities which need funding.
Sported was established in 2008 by Sir Keith Mills, who is vice-chair of the London Olympics organising committee LOCOG and creator of Nectar and Air Miles.
Working alongside Birmingham Future are Sported existing volunteers including 48-years-old Eamon Wykes, managing director of Birmingham-based Wesco Electrical (UK) and EWE Business Development, who is a business progression mentor with the Prince’s Trust.
John Ellery, West Midlands regional manager for Sported, said: “To now know that we also have the expertise and experience of such an effective and forward-thinking organisation as Birmingham Future on board to guide our mentees is extremely exciting.”
Birmingham Future’s representatives include Bina Ganatra, a business development manager with Lloyds Banking Group.
She said: “By being involved with Sported I use the skills that I have learnt and gained and share them with the individuals who are highly committed and driven and know all about the sports they are running.
“Where they need assistance with business plans and sustaining their clubs longer term I can help with ideas, structuring and formalising a business plan to give them a method to communicate how they plan to run their club.”
