By Ian Clarkson 16-Mar-05
I was lucky enough to be the latest guest speaker on West Bromwich Albion's ACES scheme yesterday in what is a groundbreaking initiative for Football In The Community Schemes.
I was following in well-worn footsteps when I attended a Q & A-style session at Perrfyfields High School in Oldbury. Television stars such as Adrian Chiles of Match of the Day 2 fame and prominent local radio jocks such as Malcolm Boyden and Tom Ross have all faced a grilling from local kids.
Former Albion heroes such as Bob Taylor and Cyrille Regis have also come under the spotlight, as has Jonathan Greening of the current crop of players.
The scheme is still in its infancy but its twin objectives are to try and improve the percentage of pupils gaining five or more A to C grades from 38 per cent to 44. It also aims to reduce the numbers of pupils leaving school without any formal qualifications from seven per cent to five.
West Brom's Community Officer Jamie Bunch has worked hard to set up a link with the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. Up until April 2006, this will provide a sum of £1.7m and aims to engage 1,200 people by working not only with Albion but also voluntary and community organisations and secondary schools.
ACES (Academic Coaches Ensuring Success programme) is a way for Year 11 schoolchildren to ask various questions and my subject matter was the media and football. However, questions varied from politics and drugs and each pupil receives a certificate for their portfolio for attending the workshop.
This project is unique and if successful, then is likely to be copied all over the country through other Football In The Community schemes. "Our Community Scheme is growing all the time,2 said Bunch. "We think it is really important to make a difference to the local community in and around Sandwell. This is just one of many opportunities we offer to local kids and we are expanding all the time.'
West Bromwich Albion are also involved in the building of a new 'super school' opposite The Hawthorns. The Sandwell Academy will specialise in business, enterprise and sport and emphasises just how far FITC schemes have come in the 21st Century. Hopefully, the ACES scheme will be a success and all eyes will be on the end of term results.
Any pupil who has been earmarked, as a having potential to gain five or more C grades, but is currently unlikely to achieve their potential is given the ACES treatment.
Once again, it is a positive example of football proving that it can have big effect on the local community and that it hasn't forgotten its social conscience.
