Twice in the last 2 weeks I have been privilidged to see and hear what a professional football club is doing not only for their local community but for a much wider geographical area.
It is normal for me to be seen at a home game for West Bromwich Albion, after all I have supported them since (well probably since) I was conceived. My Dad was a fan and became Chief Steward and Mum was the Granddaughter of Joe Reader who played in goal from 1890 until 1901. But a couple of weeks ago I was not to take my usual seat in the West Stand.
On 14 April 2012 I was invited to attend the game against Queens Park Rangers as a guest of the West Bromwich Albion Foundation in my role of Chairman of the Herefordshire and Worcetershire Chamber of Commerce.
On arrival Community Director Rob Lake and his colleague Jon Ross and they showed us the work going on in the Dome and the Sports Hall. The Dome (a covered full size football pitch with artificial turf) was home for the morning to some 40 youngsters who had travelled up with parents, in coaches supplied by the Club, for a couple of hours coaching. They were then going to get to watch the match from the stands.
Rob and Jon told us that this was done most weeks with children from different areas. In the sports hall we were told about the basketball and dance teams as well as the different sports for the disabled that were hosted there. Funding comes from a number of sources including the FA, West Bromwich Albion Football Club and Local Authorities as well as the Private Sector.
Over lunch though Rob explained how the philosophy of the Club and the Foundation was linked and how they were also working with youngsters who were not in school, and those who were slightly older who were classed as not in education, employment or training (NEETS). In his explanation he said that in these education programmes in particular they had managed to engage teenagers who had an attendance problem at school and had achieved a 93% attendance rate with their courses. These are teenagers who will do anything to avoid school suddenly going to school and as it is a widespread problem in Sandwell the local authority are sitting up and taking notice.
The Foundation are looking to spread their wings and are coming to Worcestershire, working with the University of Worcester and the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce. The project entitled "We are Albion in Worcestershire" is about giving opportunities to areas of the community that are sometimes overlooked whilst the payback to the Football Club is that they will generate a larger fan base. That is bound to be possible with a schools tournament today at Worcester University featuring 16 schools with prizes presented by West Bromwich Albion and Republic of Ireland full back Steven Reid. How many youngsters get to meet a Premier League star?
Back in March I was at the annual conference of the British Chambers of Commerce. One speaker was the Chairman of Timpsons, the shoe repairers, John Timpson. He was saying that they worked with some local open prisons and as a policy were happy to employ ex-offenders in their business. He also told us that 98% of them didn't re-offend. In addition he said that the cobblers in the shops often were characters that customers were more than happy to engage with. The benefit to the business was increased customer retention.
So separate businesses and different industries, but similar strategies and similar ways of making a positive difference to communities and groups of people that Society often reject.
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