FC Elite

Words by Sebastian Muscroft

FC Elite are one of Birmingham’s youngest football academies. But since being founded in 2013 they have already reached some impressive milestones and set out big plans for the future.

Original formed as a women’s team, FC Elite saw early success as they gained promotion within their first season. This then prompted them to form a men’s team the following year and a youth side in 2016. The local Football Academy now have 15 teams across different age groups.

FC Elite Football Academy club founder and chairman, Mario Gerroni, told: “I started the club out of passion. Passion for football. But then it grew into having a sight, starting the roots, and leaving a legacy.”

FC Elite founder Mario Gerroni / Photograph supplied by FC Elite

The Academy used grounds across Erdington, including working with Short Heath Fields Trust to bring community sports to Short Heath Playing Fields, but found their permanent home at Twickenham Park on College Road – moving to the Kingstanding fields in 2016.

Since training and playing at Twickenham Park, FC Elite have overseen some big developments there – with a car park currently being built, as well as increasing the amount of football pitches.

“Developing the site is one of the biggest things,” adds Mario, “because now people can see it growing as it went from a closed off field to hopefully a facility now.”

This ambition is mirrored by local residents, with one telling Kingstanding Local: “It would be nice to have a good sports facility within walking distance and what the club are doing and have already done looks good.”

Map of proposed developments at Twickenham Park in Kingstanding, home ground to FC Elite / Image supplied by FC Elite

But what’s next for FC Elite?

“On the football side of things, it would be nice to get up to 20, 25 teams,” tells Mario. “We’d also like to build a sports hub for the people of Kingstanding making sure they don’t have to leave the ward for quality provisions.”

“But if we could develop the site as much as we can, we could have other things down here,” he adds, “like disability football, walking football… we’ve got paddle courts we’d like to embrace as well as tag rugby. There’s loads of things we can have down here.

“If we had a building down here, we could potentially have other organisations use it and have little offices on site, so the possibilities are endless.”

FC Elite Football Academy are also using sport to support the Kingstanding community off the pitch as well.

“One of the initiatives that I’d like to do is Club Captains,” tells Mario, “which will help to address the issue of knife crime.”

“[We’re] asking Nike to donate football boots,” he adds, “and working in schools trying to get workshops going.

“The idea is about trying to get people from different wards to come along and embrace each other rather than engaging in postcode wars and carrying a knife.”

FC Elite Academy is open to new members and have stated anyone is welcome to come down to Twickenham Park for a free trial session.

For more on FC Elite Football Academy visit www.fcelite.co.uk

If you are from a community group or an active volunteer anywhere in the Erdington constituency then we want to hear for you. Please email: [email protected]

Words by editorial team

Erdington Business Improvement District (BID) will be hosting the first in a series of Summer Fun Days on Saturday 21 June, held between 12noon and 5pm on Erdington High Street by the entrance to Wilton Market.

Completely free to attend, the family friendly day will have stalls from local community groups, live music, arts and craft activities, and free children’s games and entertainment – such as animal face painting and a bouncy castle.

There will also be an ice cream van stationed at the event, making sure people have something cold to enjoy as the summer weather heat up – with seating, shade, and free water also available.

The Summer Fun Day will be situated on the pedestrianised area of Erdington High Street, near the entrances to Wilton Market and the new B&M Superstore.

A group of children playing in a bouncy castle / Photograph taken from Adobe Stock Images

All children’s games and workshops will be free of charge, with those attending asked to stay with their young people whilst they are enjoying the activities.

Being organised as part of the Erdington BID’s Love Your Local Community campaign, which is encouraging people to focus on the positives of the Town Centre – and to bring in a programme of community events and outreach activities – further Summer Fun Day events are planned for July and August.

Alongside the children’s games and entertainment, there will be a variety of stalls from local community groups and support services.

Children enjoying free arts and crafts on Erdington High Street / Photograph by Ed King

Erdington MP Paulette Hamilton will be hosting a ‘pop up’ surgery, inviting local people to have a face to face session with the local Member of Parliament – outside of her regular sessions across the constituency

Erdington Local will be inviting people to go in front of the camera at their Vox Pop stand – recording short interviews with members of the public, asking them about what they feel is good and bad in the Town Centre.

Arts All Over the Place will be running free arts and craft workshops for children and young people, getting them making and creating their own designs in supervised sessions – with all the materials provided.

Live music will be played throughout the day, from musicians and singers from the Erdington Arts Forum.

People will also get the chance to learn more about volunteer activities and support services across Erdington, with special displays and information from local groups including Erdington Litter Busters, Short Heath Fields Trust, FC Elite, Erdington Redeemed Church of God, and Aquarius.

Then at 2:30pm, all eyes will turn to the international art project Mothers Without Hands as they hold a special procession down the High Street – starting from Oikos Face and heading towards St Barnabas Church.

Led by renowned Birmingham based artist Tereza Bušková, the parade will feature a specially made headdress as it’s central theme – which has been adorned by items crafted over a series of sessions with local creative community group, Arts All Over the Place.

Mothers Without Hands procession in Walsall Town Centre – led by international artist Tereza Bušková / Photograph supplied by Mothers Without Hands

The Mothers Without Hands project – raising awareness of violence towards women and girls, through performance and art inspired by traditional Czech Republic folklore – has held previous events across Europe and the UK, coming to Erdington Town Centre on the final part of its international tour.

Following the first Sumer Fun Day on Saturday 21 June, Erdington BID have planned more events on Saturday 26 July – in conjunction with the Birmingham Blues and Jazz Festival – and again on Saturday 23 August, kicking of the Bank Holiday Weekend.

The events are being organised as part of the LOVE YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY (LYLC) campaign, which hopes to encourage people to celebrate the positives in and around the Tonw Centre – and across the Erdington constituency.

Volunteers collecting rubbish on Erdington High Street at the first LOVE YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY litter pick on Saturday 7 June / Photograph by Ed King

The LYLC campaign has already started a programme of community litter picks to help tidy up Erdington High Street, with their first ‘pick’ help on Saturday 7 June and supported by many local residents and groups.

Erdington BID is looking for more active community members to join the LYLC campaign and be part of future activities.

Erdington BID is funded by annual levies from local retailers and business in the Town Centre, and further supported by external funding, grants, and donations.

A spokesperson from the Erdington BID told: “With the support of the local shops and businesses, the Erdington BID is excited to host our Summer Fun Days across the coming months – bringing some free and family friendly events to the High Street.

“We’re also looking at more events in autumn and around Christmas, as well as more community litter picks and other outreach activities to celebrate the Town Centre.”

They added: “We’d love to see everyone come out and have some fun on Saturday 21 June, and support the shops and retail communities that are the heart of our Town Centre.”

Anyone wanting more information about the LOVE YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY campaign please email the Erdington BID at: [email protected]

For more information on Erdington BID visit www.erdingtonhighstreet.co.uk

Tag: FC Elite

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: FC Elite Football Academy

NEWS: Free and family friendly Summer Fun Days on Erdington High Street – Saturday 21 June