Foundation launch 2024/25 Community Report

The Aston Villa Foundation are pleased to announce the launch of their 2024/25 Season Community Report, highlighting the impact of the charity’s activation across Aston and the City of Birmingham.

The report explores specific examples of activation across its three strategic functions of Delivering, Connecting and Supporting - within three delivery threads of Engagement Sport and Wellbeing, Education and Employment and Community Relations:

The impact of Premier League Fans Fund

Aston Villa’s Premier League Fans Fund began work in January 2024 to further connect residents to the Club, who can be impacted heavily due to matchday experiences. The localised approach to Fans Fund aligns to the Foundation’s strategy of enabling and connecting with local community-based organisations, bridging a gap to allow Aston Villa to be seen as a good neighbour in the community.

Players engage with Foundation programmes

In April, midfielder Amadou Onana met with coaches and players from the Foundation, Birmingham Impact FC, Green Lane Masjid FC and Birmingham Youth Sports Academy, speaking with them about the impact of the Everybody’s Game project.

Remembering Benjamin Zephaniah

To commemorate the first anniversary of the Foundation ambassador’s passing on December 7, the Foundation worked closely with Benjamin Zephaniah’s family to hold a poetry competition for young poets inspired by his writing. Eight-year-old Mumeen from Warren Farm Primary School was chosen as the winner, receiving a trophy and a stadium tour for him and his classmates.

Zephaniah's impact was also celebrated with the work of 10 individuals through the Benjamin Zephaniah Localism Awards, connecting to the ‘supporting’ pillar of the Foundation’s strategic function. This explores how we can play a role in empowering and becoming an advocate for micro-community and charitable organisations within the City of Birmingham.

150th Anniversary Celebration Event

As part of a season-long social action project, 150 pupils from five local primary schools were invited to attend a special celebration event at Villa Park to commemorate the club’s 150th anniversary season.

Collaboration with West Midlands Combined Authority

Over the course of the season, the Foundation fostered a relationship with the West Midlands Combined Authority, to partner on several employment opportunities that support and align with the Youth Plan - a targeted initiative in the West Midlands pledging to support young people who are furthest from the labour market.

The full report can be read here: