Procurement opportunity to support disadvantaged young people to access the Commonwealth Games Volunteering Programme

Expression of Interest

West Midlands Combined Authority are currently seeking prospective partners from the voluntary and community sector to be included in our application for The National Lottery ‘Reaching Communities England’ fund.

Intent

We are looking to utilise The National Lottery funding to support disadvantaged young people to access the Commonwealth Games Volunteering Programme through the Jobs and Skills Academy.

This would be achieved though:

Providing Community engagement in nominated wards
Case loading disadvantaged young people to support them through the transition points of the Commonwealth Games volunteering programme
Supporting young people to transition into employment utilising their Games experience
Context

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG) provides a unique opportunity to leave a lasting legacy for the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands. This will include using the Games as a catalyst to accelerate and amplify the delivery of more skills and jobs for local people.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is the lead for the Jobs and Skills Legacy workstream, for the B2022 Commonwealth Games Legacy Programme.

WMCA and B2022 agreed to ‘brand’ employment and skills programmes under the banner of the Commonwealth Jobs and Skills Academy.

Jobs and Skills Academy

The Commonwealth Games brings enormous employment and skills opportunities to the region. The Jobs and Skills Academy is a critical delivery mechanism to ensure that these much needed opportunities are connected to young people and unemployed residents.

This will be done by working with partners, such as the B2022 Organising Committee- to create meaningful job and volunteering opportunities and by providing training and support to allow residents to access these opportunities.

Prospective Partners

We are looking for expressions of interest from organisations with an experience of working with young people and who already have a presence within the nominated wards.

We are looking to partner with one organisation in each ward, working with a maximum 9 organisations to support the direct delivery.

The intention is to support 100 young people in each ward between Spring 2021 to December 2022.

The wards identified are those of the key Commonwealth Games venues within the West Midlands Combined Authority geography reflected in the table below.

Venue Ward

West Park (Wolverhampton) Park Ward (Wolverhampton)
Sutton Park - Sutton Trinity
Alexander Stadium - Perry Common
Sandwell Aquatic Centre - Smethwick
Arena Birmingham - Ladywood
University of Birmingham / Edgbaston - Edgbaston
Smithfield - Bordesley & Highgate
NEC - Bickenhall
Ricoh Arena (Coventry) - Longford and Holbrook

Expression of Interest Process

For any queries please email [email protected]

For any organisations interested in becoming a partner and being part of the WMCA application could you please complete the attached template and return to [email protected] by 2 February.

Download Expression of Interest form

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