Garry Cook delivers a speech during the Birmingham City foundation’s debut.The renamed foundation of Birmingham City is essential to Knighthead’s vision of making the club the leader of the second city.

The Birmingham City foundation was established on Wednesday morning by Blues owner Tom Wagner, who pledged to provide a “material difference” to the thousands of children in this city who are impoverished. The official foundation launch took place on Wednesday afternoon at Frankley’s Balaam Wood Academy.

Attendees were Darren Carter, the head of women’s business, Lukas Jutkiewicz, Craig Gardner, the technical director, manager Wayne Rooney, and Martha Harris. Cook gave a speech to a room of children largely made up of Blues fans, and he tried to win the hearts of those who weren’t.

This Christmas, the foundation is attempting to raise funds by purchasing gifts for over 11,500 children in foster care.They are being supported by the generosity of Brummies and will include everything from teddies to water bottles, hats, and blankets.

Through sponsorship, supporter organizations have already raised thousands of pounds.The Panjabi Blues are planning a sleepout at St Andrew’s on Saturday, December 16, despite the bitter cold. They have raised almost £3,000. Special Bluenoses will be sold at the game against Leicester City on December 18 to help Blues smash through their £50,000 target.

Cook stated, “Jeremy Dale deserves a lot of credit for this.” “We sat down and looked at the statistics, there are over 12,000 kids in care in Birmingham and we’re coming up to Christmas, most of them won’t get a gift. By selling a Bluenose, it’s a £3 contribution and gives a gift to someone in care. We set a target of over £50,000 thinking that might be a challenge, we’re already at £40,000.

“There are other ways to raise funds as well. What about this, a sponsor of our football club who was going to be on the shirt decided he didn’t want to be on the shirt. He wanted to give the money to the foundation so we put the foundation logo on the sleeve of the shirt, and the money he paid in sponsorship from his own company – AMG Logistics – Andy Griffiths said ‘Give it to the community and let them spend it on a worthwhile cause’. That’s the type of community we live in.”

Two coaches from the foundation will be based at Baalham Wood permanently from January. Cook says they will be teaching the children far more than football skills.

He added: “Here at Balaam Wood, in January, we are going to put two full-time mentors into the building so that we can impact over 500,000 people over a period of time.

We don’t just coach them because that’s what all football clubs in the community do; we also mentor them, provide them with opportunities, and share our dreams with them, all while ensuring that they understand the values that define a great football player: commitment, hard work, and unwavering pursuit of your goals.

Some of those children lived the dream by having a kickaround with English football icon Wayne Rooney. The Blues manager joined Jutkiewicz in the sports hall for some feisty five-a-side fixtures.

Rooney said: “Of course the club has been doing foundation work in the past, but there’s an opportunity for us to really accelerate that and grow that. Sometimes you get caught up in giving gifts and money to different families or groups, but one of the most important things you can give is your time. I think that’s more important for the kids.

“I remember as a child, at my school, some of the Everton players coming in and it sticks with me to today.”

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