The Duke of Cambridge learns about Aston Villa’s community outreach

The Duke of Cambridge learns about Aston Villa’s community outreach

His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge spent time learning about the Aston Villa Foundation’s community outreach work on Tuesday.

As part of his visit to the Club’s Bodymoor Heath Training Ground, where he officially opened the new High Performance Centre, The Duke met staff, partners and participants of some of the Foundation’s programmes.

Head of Foundation Guy Rippon was delighted to share with The Duke how the Club’s official charity has been helping to improve the lives of local people during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.

He said: “It’s an honour and a privilege to show His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge some of the work and projects that the Football Club and Foundation have done during the course of the last 12 months during the Covid-19 crisis.

“We’ve worked with lots of key partners and stakeholders over the last 12 months and working together has helped us to have a greater impact and provide more support for some of the most vulnerable people in the city.”

During his time with the Foundation, The Duke was introduced to three projects: Villa Vision, Villa Kitchen and TeamWork.

Villa Vision is a unique project that has been championing the importance of eyecare in the local community. Led by Project Manager Nikhil Sonpal, the Villa Vision team offer free, educational lessons in the classroom alongside free eye screening, tests and free glasses for children and community groups from inner-city areas – all of which is delivered from a van that carries the latest optical equipment.

Another flagship Foundation initiative, Villa Kitchen, has been providing free meals to people who need them most since 2019. Cooked in the kitchens at Villa Park, Head Chef Chris Morrell and his team produce approximately 1,000 meals a week, with local outreach organisations distributing them across the city. Villa Kitchen has expanded its network of partners during the pandemic, enabling meals to reach the most vulnerable.

The Duke, who has long championed the importance of mental health, was introduced to TeamWork, an initiative that supports working-age adults with their mental health and wellbeing through a blend of digital and physical engagement. Ryan Hollings, the Foundation’s Health Manager, oversees the projects and works with key partners, locally and nationally, to offer the best support possible to participants.

The Duke was also shown a shining example of the Club and Foundation working alongside local organisations. Since April 2020, Villa Park has been hosting NHS antenatal clinics. Six hospitality boxes in the North Stand were equipped to provide consultation rooms for local expectant and new mums, delivered by a team of community midwives. One year on, the midwifery team see up to 60 patients a day at the stadium.

The Holte Suite also became a vaccination centre earlier this year, welcoming patients through the doors for the first time in February.