Sport Birmingham end successful year with ‘Outstanding’ rating as future plans approved by major funders

After a highly successful year there is a lot to be thankful for and celebrate as 2017 draws to a close:

• Sport England approve Sport Birmingham plans for the next three years
• Commonwealth Games Federations announce Birmingham 2022 as the host city
• New local delivery pilot project helping inactive people in Birmingham and Solihull, launching in 2018

2017 has been a highly successful year for Sport Birmingham with the charity securing additional funds outside of their main Sport England contract to bring further investment into grassroots sport in the city. In September, Sport Birmingham launched and partnered on new projects such as Make a Difference (MAD) Birmingham, The Royal Foundation CoachCore Apprenticeships programme and the physical activity & healthy eating project: Move More Eat Well.

We also further developed and delivered events such as The Birmingham Business Games, The Turkish Airlines Birmingham School Games and Birmingham Inclusive Sports Festival. The Europod Exchange Programme continued for a second year and Sport Birmingham have also provided tailored and dedicated support to local stakeholders such as Birmingham City Council, Aston Villa Foundation, West Midlands Police, Dame Kelly Homes Trust and RunBirmingham. We've also strengthened our offer for clubs, coaches, volunteers, community organisations and now employ over 23 members of staff which takes the organisation above the national average for County Sports Partnerships.

Paul Faulkner Chairman of Sport Birmingham and Chief Executive of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce said "The team at Sport Birmingham have worked extremely hard this year and have launched innovative projects that bring a real benefit to the people of Birmingham.

Sport and physical activity has a key role in adding value to our local economy. Sport England funding ensures we are committed to providing the resources, tools and expertise to help grassroots organisations and individuals to offer a safe, fun, inclusive and high quality sporting experience".

Going forward Sport Birmingham aim to make sport and physical activity more inclusive and accessible; specifically focussing on encouraging those who are currently inactive and from under-represented groups to recognise the many benefits of adopting an active lifestyle. In relation to the recent announcements Sport Birmingham will be working hard to evidence the vital role that sport and physical activity plays in the region, most particularly linked to 'life skills' development, with the region's successful bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games and other world-class events providing further confidence in volunteering and employment opportunity through sport.

There's plenty to be excited about in 2018! To find out all the latest news, updates and opportunities you can subscribe to our newsletter at www.sportbirmingham.org/newsletter-sign-up