Bfriends Charity is proud to work in partnership with Birmingham City FC Foundation and Unitedby2022 as part of the GEN22 Commonwealth Games Flagship role.
Gen22 provides an opportunity for young people (16-24) from the West Midlands to gain employability boosting opportunities through the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. As part of the flagship offer 125 30-hour volunteering assignments have been created, that include physical and wellbeing activities alongside creative and digital opportunities.
Gen22 is for young people who might otherwise struggle to access Games related opportunities. Barriers could include lack of confidence or being a young carer or young parent. Bfriends and BCFC Foundation will work closely with Birmingham Children’s Trust to ensure young people known to the trust and local community secure places on the programme.
In August 2024 we launched our first residential as part of GEN22, which will see 20 young people from the Children’s Trust undertake a sports leadership qualification and first-aid training at Denstone College in Uttoxeter.
It is our ambition that participants will receive a range of support before, during and after the assignment to ensure they are able to maximise the benefits from the opportunity and continue to develop their own pathways and transitions with the support of the programme.
Gen22 has been codesigned by young people to ensure it best meets the needs of the participants and is something they will enjoy and benefit from.
Natalie Loon, Operations and Fundraising Manager, Bfriends Charity said: “Bfriends is proud to be one half of the flagship programme with BCFC Foundation in partnership with Unitedby22. We felt that this was an important part of the Commonwealth Games legacy for our children and adults known to the Trust.
“A very important part of our work will be wider than the 30-hour placement as we will be working with young people and adults as part of our community hub model ensuring that we support with pathways and transitions. This could be education, life-skills, confidence building, mentoring or support with the transition into independent living.
“We feel in addition that adding a residential offer gives unique opportunities away from home that will build memories”.