Prosper Autumn 2023 Yumpu_compressed

SPOTLIGHT FEATURE: WOLVES FOUNDATION
Foundation:
is helping:
Wolves to:
be a winner:
on and off:
the pitch:
For most football fans, victory on the
pitch is all that matters from their club,
but the team at the Wolves Foundation
is looking for a little bit more than just
three points at the weekend.
The Foundation operates under a
simple banner of Creating Opportunities,
Changing Lives, for the people of
Wolverhampton; its goal is to the support
the people of the Black Country,
whichever way it can.
Kieron Ansell, the Foundation’s
business development manager, explains
more. “We serve the communities on
which this club is built. Without the
people of Wolverhampton, there is no
Wolves FC. It’s our job to get out into the
community and make the small
interventions that can have a major
impact on people’s lives.”
At present the Foundation is delivering
40+ live projects, based around three key
themes: Health and wellbeing; Skills and
education; and Inclusion and cohesion.
Under these umbrella titles sit a host of
activities, groups and projects, ranging
from parent and baby groups at one end
of the age spectrum to Molineux
Memories, which offers help for those
struggling with dementia, at the other.
In between are employability
programmes, food poverty provisions,
cost-of-living support, a programme
dedicated to ending bed poverty – where
people may have a roof over the head but
not a bed to sleep in – and a wide range
of health-related projects.
“Most of our projects involve putting in
place a programme to help those
struggling or in need of support,” says
Kieron. “For instance, our Elders group is
for people who may find themselves
alone for the first time in many years and
have few social outlets, or those whose
mobility may not be what it was and are
not able to get out as much as they used
to. It’s an opportunity for them to meet
people in a similar situation, have a hot
drink and a game of bingo or crafts led by
our incredible members of staff.
“It’s a simple provision that makes a
huge difference to people who have paid
their dues and deserve this bit of care
afforded to them. Members tell us how
much they look forward to it; for some, its
their only social interaction that week.”
A lot of the Foundation’s work centres
around young people. Says Kieron: “We
operate in 34 schools across the Black
Country every week, delivering PE, maths
and English support and are developing
plans for a STEM offering in the near
future. Being in the Black Country, a
30 PROSPER AUTUMN 2023