Avro FC launch initiative to tackle local unemployment

Limeside-based football club Avro FC are launching a project with online training provider High Speed Training to provide free employability and skills courses to the local community.

The club, which moved to the Vestacare Stadium in Limeside in 2017, are partnering with High Speed Training to offer local residents the opportunity to take part in a number of courses designed to teach new skills and develop employability prospects as part of their Avro in the Community project.

Participants will be given the opportunity to take a range of courses, with the first 250 participants also being awarded a free season ticket to Avro FC for the 2022/23 season.

The training packages have been developed in partnership between Avro FC and High Speed Training, and are designed for people looking to take their first steps into a new industry, or as a way to top-up and refresh some of their knowledge following a career break.

The training, which is being donated by High Speed Training, will be free to participants and will allow them to come together at the Vestacare Stadium to learn new skills and grow their personal and professional networks. 

The training will be geared towards building skills in certain industries, covering construction, hospitality, business skills, health and safety and health and social care.

Charlie O’Brien, Operations Director at Avro FC, said: “We’re so proud to be able to launch our project, which we hope will have a real impact on people in Oldham.

“As a club, we are passionate about building our community, and supporting the place which we call home.

"We identified employability as an area that we think we could really engage with and provide some benefits to people living in the local area.

“Through this partnership with High Speed Training, we’re hoping to allow local residents to gain new skills, build on their existing passions and take the next steps on their career journeys, as well as meeting new friends, building local networks and getting access to support structures.

“We want Avro FC to be more than just a football club, we want to be part of this amazing town and play our part in making it the best we can.

"We’re encouraging everyone who thinks they can benefit from these opportunities to get in touch with us and find out more about how they can get involved.”

Amanda Chadderton, leader of Oldham Council, said: “Increasing access to high quality training opportunities, particularly for those young people not currently in education, employment or training is something I am really passionate about.

“All Oldham young people deserve the very best support as they prepare for the world of work so I look forward to seeing the results of this exciting and innovative partnership between Avro FC and High Speed Training.”

Ian Dowd, Head of Marketing at High Speed Training, said: “We’ve been blown away by the passion and commitment that the whole team at Avro FC have for supporting and growing their local community.

"It’s clear that it is a huge part of the ethos of the club.

“The club and the Avro in the Community project have a track record of delivering incredibly successful and engaging projects, and we’re thrilled to be able to work with them, providing training to local people to support them on their employment journeys.

“Helping people into employment through training has always been an issue that High Speed Training is passionate about, and we are always looking for new and exciting ways to work with partners that make a real difference.

Avro FC, who were founded in 1936 at the Failsworth factory of British aircraft manufacturer Avro, currently have 17 teams, ranging from Under-6s through to the first team, who compete in the North West Counties League Premier Division. 

Existing community initiatives run by the club include ‘Future Stars’, which aims to involve early-age pupils in a structured football environment, and ‘Kick Forward’, a programme which is aimed specifically at reducing anti-social behaviour amongst teenagers immediately after the end of the school day. 

For more information on the campaign, and to get involved, please email: community@avrofc.co.uk

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