Good news as game changing football foundation play zone opens at youth centre
By Joel, 16, Jill Dando News Correspondent
Game-changing small-sided multi-sport pitch opens at the Concord Youth Centre, Birmingham, thanks to funding from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation and EA SPORTS FC FUTURES™.
This PlayZone will provide a safe, inclusive and accessible facility to play football and a whole range of other sports and physical activities which have been designed with and shaped by the community in around the Concord Youth Centre.
The facility was made possible thanks to a grant of £169k from the Football Foundation and additional funding of over £60k from EA SPORTS™ grassroots initiative, FC FUTURES.
Ensuring the new facilities were designed in a way that works for the needs and preferences of the local community, the Football Foundation worked alongside Sport England and their local partners within the city.
Birmingham City Council, with support from Sport Birmingham, Aston Villa Foundation, Birmingham City Community Trust, Street Games and The Active Wellbeing Society engaged with over 900 local residents representing a cross-section of the local area.
As a result of this engagement, the new facility has been designed to host both football and basketball so that the community can get active in a way that suits them.
This engagement also identified a strong demand for the facility from women and girls in the area. Aston Villa FC and Birmingham City FC’s community foundations have both been approached, along with other local organisations, to help support female-only sessions on the PlayZones.
The PlayZone will also look to host activities such as walking football, dance and Zumba sessions, as well as upskilling and educating young people to become coaches and providing space for wellbeing programmes.
Within five years of opening, the pitch is expected to be used by 500 people for football and a further 230 people for multi-sport and recreational activities every month.
Former Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin said:
“I know how important it is to provide quality sporting facilities for communities up and down the country and I was delighted to be at the launch of this new Football Foundation PlayZone in Birmingham, a city very close to my heart from my days representing Aston Villa.
“Thanks to funding from the Premier League, The FA and the Government, along with EA SPORTS, this fantastic facility will be a huge boost to everybody in the local area, helping to bring the local community together and keep children and young people active."
“I know the fantastic work that is done within communities through football clubs and it is great to see that both Aston Villa and Birmingham City will be delivering some fantastic programmes here, along with other local organisations.”
Dean Potter, Director of Grant Management, the Football Foundation, added:
“Thanks to engagement with the residents that surround the Concord Youth Centre, there is now a fantastic facility that the community have had direct input on, providing them with a great place to play and a safe environment in which do so. It’s great to be here today and see the clear sense of pride everyone has in the PlayZone.
“Thanks to the funding we receive from our partners – the Premier League, The FA and Government the Foundation, we will be delivering over 200 PlayZones like the one here in Birmingham across the country."
James Salmon, Senior Marketing Director, EA SPORTS FC, said:
“EA SPORTS is incredibly proud to partner with Football Foundation once again. Access to inclusive facilities that encourage play is crucial for growing the love of sport, and it's been brilliant working alongside Football Foundation and the Premier League’s Community Trust to support this.”
Along with the Football Foundation PlayZone at Concord, EA SPORTS FC FUTURES joined forces with the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation in April 2023 to fund the Rocky & Wrighty Arena, a £200k project at Ian Wright’s former primary school in South-East London.
Minister for Sport, Stephanie Peacock, said:
“This is another great example of the Football Foundation partnership - the Premier League, The FA and Government - working together to fund access to much needed facilities.
“With thanks to EA SPORTS for their support, the Concord Youth Zone will now host multiple sports such as football and basketball for people of all ages supporting the local community to live happier, healthier lives.”
Councillor Saima Suleman, Cabinet Member for Digital, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, said:
“We are delighted the multi-sport pitch at the Concord Youth Centre is open, which will provide a variety of sports and physical activities for young people in the local community. We know the positive impact of having sporting facilities like these has on young people, which provides them a safe environment for them to play. Thank you to all partner grants for making this possible.”
Darnelle Morgan-Johnson, PlayZone Programme Manager, Basketball England added:
“We are really excited for the opening of the first of many football and basketball PlayZones! This location is particularly special, as it provides numerous opportunities for the local community to engage in physical activities.
“PlayZones represent a fantastic opportunity for sports like basketball to collaborate with key stakeholders in developing a diverse range of offerings that benefit the community. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Sport England and the Football Foundation for including us on this journey, allowing us at Basketball England to expand opportunities on a national scale.
"We look forward to fostering sustainable initiatives within the community to ensure that everyone has access to engage in physical activities, both on and off the court!”
