The Aston Villa Foundation will showcase its extensive range of community work at this Saturday’s (April 8) game against Nottingham Forest.
The fixture marks the start of celebrating ten years as an established charity and over 30 years of work in the community and is part of the Premier League Supports Community campaign.
On matchday, supporters will find Foundation staff located across Villa Park in the Family Fun Zone, on stage in the Trinity Fan Zone and in the Holte Suite, where you can find out further information and take part in activities that offer a first-hand experience of the Foundation's work.
Fans will be able to make their own drink on the smoothie bike with the Health Team, take part in a skills session with Football in the Community staff, experience coding with the Education Team and much more. Ahead of the match, supporters can also bid on signed Aston Villa merchandise in an online silent auction to raise money for the Foundation's projects.
The Foundation works closely with a variety of people and partners in Birmingham, as well as supporting the wider ‘Aston Villa Family’ through several departments including Schools, Football in the Community, Disability, Health and Wellbeing, Education, and Youth and Community, reflecting the charity’s mission statement of ‘Working Together to Enrich Lives’.
Villa’s work in the community began in February 1990, with former Aston Villa captain Ron Wylie as Community Liaison Officer and three other staff members: Alan Thompson, Warwick Adams and Nigel Macrow.
The four worked closely with local schools, starting up the Football in the Community programme and running matchday specials, laying the important foundations for Aston Villa’s presence in the local community.
The Premier League Supports Community campaign runs from 1-9 April, giving clubs and Club Community Organisations the opportunity to amplify the great work they do in their communities.
The Premier League supports football at every level across the country, providing world-leading investment into communities and facilities, positively impacting the lives of millions of people through programmes such as Kicks, Inspires and Primary Stars.
Nick Perchard, Head of Communities at the Premier League said: “One of the things I admire about the Aston Villa Foundation is the way they take risks and innovate, utilising the Premier League’s Professional Football Association’s (PFA) Community Fund to establish unique projects.
“Projects such as Villa Vision, the Foundation’s eye health initiative, are not what people expect football clubs to deliver, but by utilising the skills and expertise of local partners, as well as using the power of football, it engages people of all different walks of life to have access to key facilities and change the lives of the local community for the better.”
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