Birmingham children to benefit from new Community Athletics Hubs ahead of European Athletics Championships

Personal Best Foundation, the official charity of England Athletics, has announced the launch of its largest initiative to date, introducing four new Community Athletics Hubs across Birmingham to create a city-wide network of free, inclusive athletics provision for children living in some of the city’s most under-served communities, ahead of the 2026 European Athletics Championships being held in Birmingham.

The expansion means that five Birmingham wards are now supported by a Community Athletics Hub, with programmes operating in Sparkbrook & Balsall Heath East, Castle Vale, Lozells, Ward End and Nechells, areas which collectively are home to 14,927 children living in poverty.

Supporting Birmingham

Birmingham faces some of the most significant inequalities in the country, ranking 3rd nationally on the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI), with 61.7% of children aged 0–15 (around 149,300 out of 241,971) living in income-deprived households. Physical activity levels are also below the national average, with just 42% of young people in Birmingham meeting the recommended 60 minutes of daily activity, compared with around 49% nationally, and 38% classified as inactive. These inequalities are not evenly experienced, with children and young people from Black and Asian communities and those in lower-income households less likely to meet activity guidelines.

With 28% of Birmingham’s population aged under 20, there is a clear need for safe, inclusive spaces that enable children and young people to be active, supported, and engaged in positive community life.

A milestone for Personal Best Foundation

This milestone initiative was officially launched during the Community Athletics Festival held at Alexander Stadium on Saturday 30 May, delivered by StreetGames and Access Sport as the UK Sports Social Impact Partners for the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships through the Beyond Framework - the social impact model designed to create a lasting legacy from the Championships.

Over 250 young people and their families attended the festival, experiencing athletics and community sport at the iconic venue – with Personal Best Foundation ambassadors Olympian Alex Haydock‑Wilson and Paralympian Ali Fewins joining the day to inspire, encourage and engage with young people on the track and in activity sessions. For many of those children, Personal Best Foundation’s newly funded community hubs will now provide a free local pathway to continue participating in athletics-based programmes long after the event itself.

At the heart of the initiative is funetics, an inclusive athletics programme developed by England Athletics for children aged 4–11, designed to help young people develop fundamental running, jumping and throwing skills through fun, game-based activities that build confidence, movement skills and enjoyment of physical activity.

For children living in poverty, access to organised sport is too often out of reach. With more than 100,000 children across Birmingham currently living in poverty, many families face significant barriers to participation including cost, transport, equipment and lack of accessible local opportunities.

Personal Best Foundation and its delivery partners believe every child deserves the opportunity to experience the joy of movement, develop confidence and feel part of a safe and supportive community.

Free opportunities for children

The new Community Athletics Hubs will provide free weekly sessions lasting 90 minutes - intentionally designed to give children not only 45–60 minutes of physical activity, but also valuable time to socialise, build friendships and develop trusted relationships with leaders and peers in nurturing environments.

The hubs will be delivered in partnership with carefully selected local community organisations that already have deep-rooted relationships within their communities and a strong understanding of the unique challenges faced by local children and families. While all hubs are inclusive and open to all children, The Pioneer Group in Castle Vale will also pilot an additional SEND-focused offer, developed in collaboration with Personal Best Foundation and Access Sport, ensuring children and young people with additional needs can access tailored support to take part in a way that works for them.

Long-term community investment

Personal Best Foundation will also fully fund the first year of delivery across all hubs, helping to remove financial barriers and ensuring children can access sessions free of charge from day one.  As part of the initiative, all delivery partners have received funetics training alongside equipment and ongoing support for their coaches and leaders.

The initiative has been designed not simply as a short-term programme, but as a long-term community investment that builds local capacity and creates sustainable pathways into sport for children and young people. Beyond the first year, the charity hopes to continue supporting the hubs through on-going training opportunities, workforce development and the creation of a Young Leaders volunteering initiative designed to help build long-term sustainability within each community.

The five Community Athletics Hubs now operating across Birmingham are:

• Sparkbrook & Balsall Heath East – delivered by Street Futures
• Lozells – delivered by Aspire and Succeed
• Castle Vale – delivered by The Pioneer Group
• Ward End – delivered through Unity Hub in partnership with Street Futures
• Nechells – delivered by free@last

Over the last six months, Personal Best Foundation has worked closely and collaboratively with both Access Sport and StreetGames to bring these Community Athletics Hubs to fruition, recognising the opportunity to contribute to a meaningful and sustainable community legacy connected to the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships.

Amy Weaver-Tyler, Foundation Manager at Personal Best Foundation, said:

"This is a significant moment for Personal Best Foundation and a hugely important step forward for children and families across Birmingham.

"Too many children living in poverty are missing out on opportunities to be active, build confidence and feel part of something positive simply because access to sport is not always affordable or accessible.

"These Community Athletics Hubs are about much more than athletics. They are about fun and enjoyment, building confidence, fostering a sense of belonging and creating safe, supportive spaces where children can thrive. By working alongside trusted local organisations who truly understand their communities, we can ensure these opportunities reach the children who need them most.

"Launching this initiative during the Community Athletics Festival at Alexander Stadium made the moment even more special. Seeing over 450 children experience athletics in such an iconic venue was incredibly powerful - but what matters most is knowing there is now a free community pathway for many of those children to continue that journey long after the festival ended."

Alex Haydock-Wilson, Olympian and Personal Best Foundation Ambassador:

"As an athlete, I know first-hand the impact sport can have on a young person’s life. These five new Community Athletics Hubs will give more children and young people across the Birmingham the chance to get active, build confidence and be part of a positive community. Athletics brings people together, and every child deserves the opportunity to experience that."

Jane Barrett, The Pioneer Group, Youth Team Leader:

"Being part of the Community Athletics Hubs launch is incredibly exciting for the Pioneer Group and our newly trained funetics Activators. These hubs will give children and young people, including those who need SEND‑specific support - a safe, accessible and inclusive space to be active, build confidence and discover what they can achieve through movement. We’re proud to bring this opportunity to Castle Vale, creating a joyful and fun experience of athletics where children can run, jump, throw and smile."