New innovative partnership to increase access to sports for children and young people in the West Midlands

Alvechurch Football Club and Birmingham SEMH (social, emotional, and mental health) Pathfinder officially launched their partnership at a celebration event on Wednesday, 9 July at The Hayes, Alvechurch Football Club, with families, charities, and the Lord Mayor of Birmingham in attendance.

The announcement marks a major step forward in the collaboration between the two organisations, which have worked together informally for the past two years and bring a unique offer to children and families in the West Midlands.

Working in lockstep, Birmingham SEMH Pathfinder and Alvechurch FC combine high-quality football and sports coaching with wraparound family support and in-school interventions – helping children and young people who might otherwise face barriers to accessing sport or wider wellbeing support.

At the entrance to The Hayes at Alvechurch Football Club, a complex has recently been renamed “Birmingham Pathfinder-Hayes” in recognition of the strength and commitment of the partnership. The complex will be used as a shared space for community development projects.

Speaking at the celebration event, The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Zafar Iqbal MBE, praised the collaboration, saying: “All the help provided by these groups is so commendable. It’s wonderful to see the community getting together and creating new partnerships.”

Birmingham SEMH Pathfinder is currently supporting children across 25 schools in the West Midlands, with plans to scale up further. Under the new partnership, they will expand their support to more children and families at Alvechurch FC, while promoting sports opportunities through their well-established school networks.

Rob McCabe, Director of Birmingham SEMH Pathfinder, said: “We’re delighted to officially partner with Alvechurch FC, which is more than a football club – it’s a community asset. They’re really aligned with Pathfinder values and we are working toward the same goals. We would encourage other organisations up and down the country to develop similar partnerships because we’ve seen it can have a hugely positive impact for young people.”

Through the partnership, sports coaching and mentoring has already been delivered to children across Birmingham, and Alvechurch FC has hosted more than 100 children per day during the school holidays free of charge or at very low cost.

Alvechurch FC Foundation has also provided financial support to families in crisis, and its fanbase fundraised to give hampers and Christmas presents to families last year.

Mark Fogarty, Sporting Director at Alvechurch Football Club, said: “It’s fantastic to see the Alvechurch-Pathfinder collaboration going from strength to strength; it’s been brilliant seeing all the families here today and it just shows what can be achieved when we work together to find creative solutions.”

Future plans for the partnership include putting in place alternative provision for school-aged children who are experiencing challenges, in order to create tailored sports opportunities and support that would not otherwise exist.