Walking Football Programme Addresses Health Disparities and Economic Challenges
The Birmingham City Football Club Foundation is deploying an innovative sporting initiative to combat pressing social issues across the city. Through the introduction of walking football programmes, the foundation aims to tackle both poverty and health inequality in local communities, creating accessible opportunities for residents who face various barriers to participation.
Community Leader Champions Accessible Sport
Chantel Hunter, the Community Programmes Manager at the Birmingham City Foundation, has become a driving force behind this expanding health initiative. The 40-year-old Acocks Green native, who enjoyed a twenty-year playing career with Solihull-based Leafield Athletic, discovered walking football through a personal invitation from a friend. This experience revealed the sport's potential to transform lives.
"I could immediately recognise the multiple benefits," Hunter explained. "Socially, it gets people out and active, which naturally improves mental wellbeing. The adaptable nature of walking football means it can accommodate different needs, bringing back individuals who stepped away from the game for various reasons—whether financial constraints, travel difficulties, or family commitments."
Strategic Funding Enables Expansion
Previously, financial limitations hindered the growth of such community programmes. However, a partnership with Coral, the club's Official UK Betting partner and part of the Entain group, has provided crucial support. For the 2025/26 season, Coral is donating £500 to the Foundation for every home goal scored by both the Men's and Women's teams at St Andrew's Stadium.
This direct funding mechanism enables the Foundation to implement and expand health initiatives across Birmingham. "The financial support has allowed us to establish concrete plans and begin moving forward city-wide," Hunter noted. "It creates valuable opportunities to reconnect people with services and support networks."
Multiple Pathways to Improvement
The walking football programme serves as more than just physical activity—it acts as a gateway to broader support. Participants can be directed toward various resources depending on their needs and aspirations.
- Further training and educational opportunities
- Pathways back into employment
- Upskilling programmes for career development
- Health and social benefits through regular activity
"We understand how crucial this is for Birmingham, given the interconnected issues of health inequalities, deprivation, and poverty," Hunter emphasised.
Tangible Impact on Community Members
The programme is already demonstrating measurable benefits for participants. Hunter shared a particularly compelling example of its transformative effect.
"One gentleman who previously participated in our disability football programme discovered walking football and saw it as a chance to engage more deeply," she recounted. "As a new father, the sessions provide essential personal time and social connection with a new group. He has reported significant improvements in his confidence and overall wellbeing, giving us firsthand evidence of how this initiative positively shapes lives on a daily basis."
Hunter's personal journey from competitive player to community programme manager has informed this approach. After stepping back from playing due to work promotions and family responsibilities, she found walking football offered a sustainable way to remain involved in the sport while recognising its broader social potential.
The Birmingham City Foundation continues to develop its community outreach, with walking football now integrated alongside existing disability football and health programmes. This holistic approach addresses multiple dimensions of wellbeing, proving that sporting initiatives can serve as powerful tools for social change in urban communities facing complex challenges.
