The Aston Villa Foundation has joined forces with the Kaizen Foundation to roll out Play It Forward, a community-led project aimed at tackling inequalities in access to physical activity and sports facilities across Birmingham.
What Does Play It Forward Aim to Deliver?
- The initiative will open up 350 additional hours of activity annually on outdoor mini-pitches in lower-income areas.
- Funding and support will also be extended to seven local custodian organisations, helping them grow sustainably by offering small grants, equipment, staff and volunteer training, and capacity building.
- Beyond off-site pitches, the project includes development of two Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs) in the Warehouse space of Villa Park’s North Stand. On non-match days, these will serve as community hubs.
Who's Involved & How It Works
- Funding and backing come from several institutions: Kaizen Foundation, the Football Foundation, the Premier League, the Professional Footballers’ Association, and Birmingham City Council.
- The Aston Villa Foundation will provide much of the technical and operational support—grant management, guidance on governance, safeguarding, health and safety, volunteer training, marketing, monitoring and impact evaluation.
- Local grassroots organisations will be empowered to lead many of the activities, ensuring the effort is community-centred.
Why It Matters
- Many young people in Birmingham live in areas with few safe, accessible spaces for play and exercise. Play It Forward directly addresses those “activity deserts” by funding physical spaces and removing access barriers.
- It also arrives at a time when funding cuts have squeezed many voluntary organisations, meaning support for sustainability, training, and operations will be especially valuable.
- The link between sport, community cohesion, and youth development is strong; projects like this can help build healthier, more engaged local communities.
Leadership Perspectives
Guy Rippon, Head of Foundation and Community at Aston Villa, described the project as a vital initiative, especially given the tightening budgets in the voluntary sector and rising need in the community. He emphasised that this collaboration with Kaizen positions local groups to become more resilient and sustainable.
For Kaizen Foundation, the project reflects its global vision of supporting underserved communities with funding, innovation, and effective partnerships. With sports as the vehicle, it aims not just to provide facilities, but to help empower people and organisations for long-term impact.
Looking Ahead
Play It Forward stands to transform how young people in Birmingham engage with sport and physical activity. By combining space, training, resources, and local leadership, Aston Villa and Kaizen aim to deliver opportunities where they are needed most. As the project scales, it will be interesting to monitor both short-term outcomes (more activity hours, better usage of spaces) and long-term effects (health, youth development, local cohesion).
Sources: Kaizen Gaming Foundation, Aston Villa FC, Gambling Insider
