Birmingham charity secures national funding to aid sporting opportunities
A BIRMINGHAM charity has received a £40,000 funding boost to create new sporting opportunities at its flagship development.
YMCA Birmingham has secured the national funding to help it build community engagement through sport.
The funding, awarded by two charitable trusts, will be used to improve facilities at The Orchard in Erdington.
The funding is split; £10,613 has been provided by the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery and a further £30,000 is granted by the Peter Harrison Foundation.
To secure the grants, YMCA Birmingham had to show how it was going to help more people to engage in sport and exercise.
The Postcode Community Trust donation will enable the charity to purchase sporting equipment for its brand new sports hall at The Orchard. The equipment will range from football goals to badminton, indoor bowls and children’s play equipment.
The new Chris Bryant centre will partner with the onsite YMCA nursery to expand support to local parents. It will provide opportunities for the local community to get involved in sports initiatives encouraging a healthy lifestyle and using physical activity as a mechanism for building community inclusivity.
The funding secured from the Peter Harrison Foundation will enable YMCA Birmingham to complete construction of the new Community Hub at The Orchard in Erdington.
The Community Hub, the final phase in The Orchard’s 10 year development, is a multi-use sports hall offering a community space that provides sporting activities to be enjoyed by the young residents and local community.
Through the grants, YMCA Birmingham anticipates that the facility will benefit over 9,000 people through a variety of sports programmes including; 5-a-side football, exercise classes, after school clubs and soft play sessions.
Laurence Chilver, Social Enterprise Director of YMCA Birmingham, said: “This funding will enable YMCA Birmingham to continue to provide opportunities for the most vulnerable people in our society. The support will fund state of the art sporting equipment and promote inclusivity through physical activity building individual wellbeing and self-confidence.”
Alan Fraser, CEO of YMCA Birmingham, added: “Through the funding awarded by these charitable trusts we can involve more residents and community members in sport and showcase the benefits of physical exercise to improve their fitness and enjoyment of life.”
