Club thrilled after winning top community award

[Legion]

From Pravda

Villa's sterling work in the community has been rewarded with a major business honour.

Villa were handed the 'Best Contribution to the Community' award by the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce at a prestigious event at the ICC.

Chief Executive Paul Faulkner received the award on behalf of the club in front of an audience of over 700 guests.

Villa beat off competition from Birmingham Children's Hospital, BXL, Mace Security & Electrical and Small Heath School to win the gong.

The club's high-profile relationship with children's charity Acorns played a big part in the award.

But our work on tackling childhood obesity through the Villa Vitality programme as well as the success of our soccer coaching programme, which covers the whole of Birmingham and south Staffordshire, were also contributing factors.

The Villa Vitality project is based at Villa Park and has encouraged over 10,000 year six children to consider a good lifestyle through education, exercise and healthy eating while the superb soccer programme has seen over 20 community coaches engage with over 80,000 kids in fun football activities.

Duncan Riddle, Head of Community, said: "We at Aston Villa are very proud and honoured to win this award.

"To receive it from business leaders is very satisfying indeed.

"However, we will not rest on our laurels as we continue to develop new and innovative community programmes."

The next big project for the club is a new restaurant - VMF [Villa Midlands Food] - with the outstanding cuisine and staff all coming from the surrounding area.

The club is proud of its close association with people from the region. Now it is giving something back in the form of a hospitality training programme for young adults, with the 12 students selected both cooking and serving food in the unique new project.

The club have partnered with the city council's Birmingham Apprenticeship Scheme and taken on the trainee hospitality students, all living within a 10 mile radius of Villa Park.

The apprentices, who were recruited after support and consultation with cluster groups from the area, will spend two years with Aston Villa Hospitality and Events. During this time, they will be taking a Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Hospitality Services qualification, with the club working with Walsall College as its training provider.

The aim of the project is to give experience and a quality work environment to young adults who haven't been handed an opportunity like this before and to use unique and traditional recipes that reflect our relationship with the area.

[Legion]