In streets, parks, and community centres across the West Midlands, thousands of lives are being quietly transformed.

Thanks to a £13 million boost from Mayor Richard Parker’s Inclusive Communities Fund and the Community Environment Fund, more than 800,000 residents are feeling the ripple effects of hope, opportunity, and empowerment. Take Haider Bashir, a young apprentice from Alum Rock.

Once unsure about his path, today he’s confidently helping mentor other young people through Our Community Foundation’s youth development programmes. “Being part of this has changed how I see myself,” he said.

“I feel like I’m part of something that matters.” It’s not just Haider. Across the region, 400 grassroots organisations have used small grants—ranging from £500 to £300,000—to rebuild community spaces, run youth mentoring schemes, and deliver free sports, arts, and nature-based programmes.

Mayor Parker visited the Our Community Foundation at Naseby Community Centre in Birmingham last week, one of the many organisations empowered by the funding. He was met by local youth mentor Teyaba Kauser, sports development officer Zain Khan, and chief executive Basharat Dad, whose foundation used a £75,000 grant to expand its sports and mentoring activities. 

“We’ve put £13 million into 400 grassroots groups,” said the Mayor.

“That’s an astonishing 800,000 lives improved with better physical and mental wellbeing, new skills, improved job prospects, and brighter futures.” Founded in 2006, the Foundation has already supported 10,500 young people and their families, but Basharat said this latest funding was a turning point. 

“Our Inclusive Communities funding was a game-changer,” he said. “It didn’t just fund activities—it helped us build the systems, hire the people, and shape the strategy that will carry our work through 2025 to 2030.”

The impact speaks for itself:

  • 635,000 people participated in thousands of free local events  
  • 700 jobs were created  
  • 4,000 individuals gained qualifications in areas like sustainability and climate advocacy  
  • 2,000 new volunteers were recruited
  • 2,300 trees were planted
  • 160,000 residents now live within walking distance of improved green spaces  

For Tiana Barnes, another youth worker at the Foundation, the funding meant something deeper. She said: “When young people walk into our centre, they’re not just attending a sports session.

“They’re stepping into a space where they’re seen, heard, and given tools to shape their future.” 

Local mother Farah Khan shared how the centre helped her teenage son re-engage with school. “He was falling behind and withdrawing. But through the centre’s football and mentoring programme, he found new focus. I’ve got my boy back.” 

And it’s not just in the cities. In suburban estates, rural villages, and forgotten corners of the region, stories of revival are emerging.

In Wolverhampton, community arts funding allowed a local youth theatre to stage its first play in two years, reigniting a passion for performance in dozens of young participants, whilst, in Dudley, a transformed green space now hosts gardening clubs for the elderly and after-school forest education for children.

“It’s not just about trees and benches,” said resident Leroy Matthews, 68.

“It’s about neighbours reconnecting. It’s about being proud of where you live again.”

The funding is part of the Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund, launched to ensure the momentum of Birmingham 2022 continued well beyond the closing ceremony. Backed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the goal was simple: to put the power—and funding—into local hands. 

For the Mayor, this is only the beginning. “My Growth for Everyone plan is about making sure no one is left behind,” said Mayor Parker.

“That’s why we are breaking down barriers to create real opportunities, better life chances, and healthier, more sustainable communities for generations to come.” As the West Midlands Combined Authority continues to champion inclusive growth, the voices from the ground are clear: when you invest in people, they rise.