A Club Built to Unite a City
Birmingham is the youngest city in Europe. It is also one of the most diverse. And for a long time, that diversity hasn’t been reflected on the football pitches that matter, the academies, the semi-professional leagues, the pathways that turn talent into opportunity.
Rajab Noor and Siraj Hussain set out to change that. When the pair took over what was then Barnt Green Spartak, they didn’t just want to run a football club. They wanted to build something that looked like the city it represented. The rebrand to Birmingham United wasn’t just a new badge, it was a mission statement: unite the city through football, and open doors that have stayed closed to ethnically diverse communities for too long.
Both Rajab and Siraj bring genuine football pedigree to the project, Siraj coaching within Birmingham City’s academy system alongside teaching, Rajab working across the Football Association and scouting for West Bromwich Albion. But what sets Birmingham United apart isn’t just what happens on a Saturday afternoon. It’s what the club has built off the pitch.
From a Football Club to a Force for Change
That off-pitch work now has a name and a structure of its own: BU Foundation. What started as a football club with a mission has grown into a community organisation reaching thousands of young people across some of Birmingham’s most under-served areas, Alum Rock, Sparkbrook, Balsall Heath and beyond.
The numbers tell their own story. BU Foundation has supported over 5,000 young people, with 90% coming from highly deprived areas and 85% from ethnically diverse backgrounds. That work adds up to 2,500 hours of sport delivered every year, across 5 partner schools and 6 Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) delivery sites, reaching more than 150 young people every week through community football alone.
But the numbers only tell part of it. Ask the families involved and you hear something different.
“Before Football Fridays, I had nothing to do after school on Fridays. Now I come every week, the coaches know my name, they look out for me. It’s more than football.” – Programme Participant, Alum Rock
“The Beyond The Lens programme gave my son skills he uses every day. He’s now doing paid content work for a local business, that opportunity came directly through BUFC Foundation.” — Parent, Sparkhill
That’s what happens when a club decides its job isn’t just to win matches. It’s to be somewhere young people belong.
Free Summer Camp for Eligible Families
This summer, BU Foundation is running a summer camp for children eligible for free school meals, giving young people across the city somewhere positive, active and welcoming to spend their holidays, at no cost to families who need it most.
Spaces are limited and eligibility criteria apply. Families and carers can find out more and register interest by contacting community@birminghamutd.com.
One of Our Own at iSE
Birmingham United and BU Foundation are based at iSE, part of the growing community of founders and organisations we support with space, connection and business advice across Birmingham. Their story is exactly the kind we love to share, a club built on identity and belonging, doing the quiet, consistent work that changes what’s possible for young people in this city.
To find out more about Birmingham United and BU Foundation’s community work, visit birminghamutd.com/community-football.
To find out how iSE supports founders, social enterprises and community organisations like Birmingham United across the West Midlands, visit www.i-se.co.uk or email info@i-se.co.uk.