Walsall FC community employs 20 people who engage with the local community schools. The whole football league and especially lower league clubs are under tremendous pressure following the coronavirus.
In an effort to support the great work that Walsall FC Community Programme do for the Midlands, Made in Group have sponsored their shirts with our Made Equal campaign.
Made in Group have had a strong relationship with Walsall FC Community Programme for multiple years and are in full support of their vision, which is:
“To use the vehicle of sport and physical activity to make a positive difference to the lives of people within the Walsall community.”
CEO of Made in Group, Jason Pitt, said, “As a business, we have had to carefully target investment and spend. As shirt sponsor for 2019 I felt it was important to support our existing relationships. It’s too easy to make cutbacks and be distanced from the impact those cuts make, but we all need to ask ourselves do we want these organisations to be here in the future? If we do then we need to back our supply chains and charities we have previously supported.”
Pitt added, “I was particularly impressed with how football clubs and in particular Walsall FC approach community engagement, the impact they have for the number of people they employ is phenomenal. This club makes a real impact, they reach people in a way that is not achievable with other mediums, from engaging with schools, people not in education work or employment, PREVENT which is an anti-terror initiative and of course racial equality. In a year dominated with bad news and inequality, we often miss the impact that these community projects have. Community clubs around the country really are the unsung heroes in terms of tackling racial equality and of course celebrating diversity on the pitch.”
“I am also impressed by the community director Adam Davy whose passion for his job and what he does really sets this up for long term success.”
Earlier in the year, Walsall FC Community Programme delivered a package of personal protective equipment to staff at Fair Oaks Day Hospice and Walsall Palliative Care Centre in Bloxwich. Made in Group donated PPE to this palliative care centre as well - highlighting how these two organisations are able to combine their resources to support the community.
Speaking on the launch of this most recent kit sponsorship, Adam Davy, Director of Walsall FC Community Programme, said "We are now entering our 3rd season of support from Made in the Midlands. Our working relationship has gone from strength to strength and the support we get is invaluable, this year more than most. Our relationship means that we proudly display the company logo on our staff clothing when we are delivering our wide range of activities. I know that Made in the Midlands are proud to be associated with the valuable social outreach work that we do.
In addition to the staff kit, the logo also appears on our Development Teams and our Post 16 Football Academy who play in the EFL CEFA League. We also link with Made in the Midlands to explore opportunities around inclusion and employment programmes. After the national lockdown, we have returned to safely delivering our services and are looking forward to another year of building back to full capacity. Made in the Midlands support has made this possible and I look forward to many more years of support and the introduction of even more new opportunities."
Due to the events of 2020, charities such as the Walsall FC Community Programme may come at risk of losing support from some people, who view spending money in such a way to help others as being not a priority in the current climate. However, Made in Group would like to emphasise that they are in full support of the great work that this initiative continues to do and, ultimately, it is vital for us to take a long term viewpoint on the things which we wish to support.
Made in the Midlands equality campaign was launched to address the skills shortage in manufacturing, less than 10 percent of the manufacturing workforce are female and there is an ageing demographic that could threaten the future growth and success of British industry.
You can find out more about Walsall FC Community Programme and some of the recent work they have to support people throughout the Midlands HERE.