Aston Villa Foundation announces new partnership to help promote local businesses
Aston Villa Foundation has launched a new partnership giving businesses the chance to connect with new customers on matchdays while supporting the club's charitable work.
It has teamed up with Manchester-based Eleven Sports Media to be an official partner of the foundation via a new multi-year agreement.
The specialist in hyperlocal sports marketing will make what it called "a significant seven-figure investment" into the foundation.
Alongside this support, Eleven Sports Media will also introduce the partnership to Villa Park, enabling West Midlands small and medium businesses to showcase their brands on matchdays, connect at events, access marketing campaigns and engage with fans of the Premier League club.
Partners' branding will be prominently displayed on LED boards during home games for the men's and women's teams while Eleven Sports Media will deliver matchday content, social feeds and real-time statistics on stadium screens.
Aston Villa Foundation works with more than 30,000 children and young adults annually, delivering over 40 programmes and projects across Birmingham, aiming to support the education, employment, health and wellbeing of participants.
Among its initiatives are Villa Vision which delivers free glasses to schoolchildren, a catering club which teaches skills and creates job opportunities within the hospitality industry and Everybody's Game, promoting inclusivity in sport for British South Asian communities.
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Matt Cairns, founder and chief executive of Eleven Sports Media, said: "We're proud to partner with Aston Villa and invest in the incredible work of the foundation.
"For over three decades, the foundation has been a catalyst for change at the heart of the local community and this partnership allows us to help grow that legacy even further.
"It will offer local businesses a unique opportunity to align with Aston Villa's community values while gaining visibility at one of the Premier League's most renowned venues, creating a blueprint for how sport and business can work together to deliver lasting social impact."
Head of the foundation Guy Rippon added: "We are excited to be partnering with Eleven Sports Media to continuously promote the foundation's great work.
"The partnership will connect us with local businesses, to build new relationships and boost the impactful work to a new and wider audience."
