• BCFA partner with Pledgeball as grassroots clubs make pledge for sustainable future

    Birmingham County FA (BCFA) have just announce that its ‘Save Today, Play Tomorrow’ project has teamed up with Pledgeball for the 2021/22 season to enable all clubs, teams and supporters to sign up to the first-ever County FA Sustainable Football Pledge and make a difference. When clubs affiliate with BCFA for the forthcoming season they will be asked to sign the Sustainability Pledge, which is linked to simple and small lifestyle changes that collectively make a huge impact on the planet.

    For many, climate change is a difficult and complex subject to connect with – it is hard to know what to do and whether, as individuals, we can make a difference. Pledgeball offers a mechanism by which behaviour change can be brought about in a fun and easy way, empowering individuals by demonstrating the potential impact we can have by making small lifestyle changes, particularly in association with our football clubs.

    Pledgeball already offer the facility for football fans to support their professional club and have recently announced partnerships with Huddersfield Town Supporters' Association and Bristol City Football Club. Football offers an unparalleled platform to bring about this change and Pledgeball offers a means by which to do this. 

    Katie Cross, Founder of Pledgeball, said: “As a member of Bristol-based Misfits WFC, I am well aware of the potential for teams and clubs to make change happen. The football community is a unique place from which to initiate transformational change, with the regular fixtures, the unity, the wide-reach and the emotion that accompanies the sport. I am delighted about the partnership with Birmingham County FA – our potential to have a real impact, both in reducing our footprints and in spreading this much further afield, is huge.”

    Richard Lindsay, Business Insights Manager at Birmingham County FA and Project Lead for Save Today, Play Tomorrow, added: “We are excited to have partnered with Pledgeball for the forthcoming season. To be able to bring our clubs on this journey of change is fantastic, and through their digital platform they have developed a really engaging way for football to consider lifestyle alternatives and to be able to visualise the positive impact this has had on our environment.”

    By its very nature football is competitive and for those clubs that sign up to Pledgeball they will be able to see in real-time a Birmingham County FA league table showing how their club or team is performing based on the Carbon emission saving activities they pledge to complete. Success will be celebrated and for those clubs involved Birmingham County FA has ringfenced grant funding available to help support infrastructure changes.  

    Birmingham County FA will formally launch the Save Today, Play Tomorrow sustainability project this month.

  • Beach volleyball courts open as part of Games legacy

    Three new beach volleyball courts have opened as part of Birmingham's Commonwealth Games legacy as twins Javier and Joaquin Bello, who won bronze last summer, opened the community courts at Moseley Rugby Club in the city.

    On the opening, Clare Francis from Volleyball England said: “There had been a gap in the West Midlands for these types of courts.

    “And, for the players here today, this is their first time on the sand." Ms Francis said, as she went on: “Many people usually play indoors and this is great for players to experience beach volleyball, on sand used in the Commonwealth Games.”

    The nets and the balls have also come from last year's Games. Robin Johnson, Birmingham Moseley rugby director, said: "Birmingham 2022 was such a phenomenal event for our city, so we were only too delighted to get involved in this legacy project. 

    "We already have very strong links with the local community and people in our local area, and this will enable us to spread our reach further and help even more people get active and try a new sport." The courts are available for members of the public to hire out.

    Last year, the former site for Birmingham's wholesale markets, Smithfield, erupted when the Bello brothers made history by winning England's first beach volleyball medal at the Commonwealth Games. As well as officially opening the courts, the twin's also exhibited their skills for the public to see.

    Kara Griffiths, Chair of the West Midlands Volleyball Association, said: “I’m delighted that the courts have finally been installed. It's a year after the Commonwealth Games that inspired everyone across the region to play more volleyball."

  • Beach Volleyball match schedule published as Commonwealth Games countdown continues

    Following the recent announcement of the pools for both the men's and women's tournaments, the full match schedule has now been unveiled for the Birmingham 2022 Beach Volleyball competition.

    Host nation Team England will start the men's competition with the Bello brothers facing Tuvalu in the opening match. Reigning Commonwealth champions, Australia, will also get their campaign underway on 30 July when they take on the Maldives in the second session of the day.

  • Bear & Ragged Staff charity t-shirt designed by Jim Troughton on-sale

    Warwickshire County Cricket Club has reinforced its fundraising plans for Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity and the NSPCC Childline service in Birmingham by releasing a new Bear & Ragged staff t-shirt, which is based on a design from men’s First Team Coach Jim Troughton.

    Available in men’s, women’s and children’s sizes, the t-shirts are priced at £15 each with all proceeds raised being donated to the two charities.

    Bears fans can now pre-order one of the special edition Bear & Ragged Staff charity t-shirts online at Store 94. However, please do bear in mind that all deliveries will take place once the current Government working guidelines are amended and staff can return to Edgbaston.

    The charity t-shirts follows on the commitment from Warwickshire CCC and Edgbaston staff to raise funds for both charities through the 2.6 Challenge; a series of exercise-related challenges undertaken individually before the end of May. These challenges include Safety Manager David Clarke cycling 260 miles, Executive Membership Account Manager Heidi Smith undertaking 26 minutes of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on 10 consecutive days, and Head of Conference & Events Sales Maria Clune running 2.6 miles each day.

    Donations to the team’s fundraising efforts can be made at: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Team/Bears4

    The Club has also promised to use one of its Vitality Blast fixtures to celebrate the efforts of NHS staff later in the summer, whilst its home of Edgbaston has been donated for use as a COVID-19 drive-through testing centre, which is used to support the Government’s testing of key workers.

  • Bears and Vestel launch Six4Schools community programme for T20 season

    Warwickshire County Cricket Club and Vestel Visual Solutions, a leading manufacturer of professional display solutions for schools and colleges, have launched the new Six4Schools community programme, which is designed to make Birmingham Bears Vitality Blast games even more accessible for families and to give back to local schools.

    Now open for registrations from across Birmingham and Warwickshire, every school that registers for theSix4Schools programme will receive a unique discount code that allows the parents of pupils to secure adult tickets for a Vitality Blast T20 fixture at Edgbaston Stadium for just £12; a saving of £13 on the match day price. Alongside this, parents can secure free tickets for all children aged under 16.

    What’s more, each school will receive £6 cashback on every ticket sold through its unique code and the school that sells the most tickets will receive an interactive screen from Vestel, designed to help deliver more engaging and collaborative lessons.

    Ravi Masih, Head of Community Engagement at Warwickshire CCC, said: “We recognised how tough the pandemic has been for families and schools and in response Six4Schools is a brand-new initiative that we’ve launched with Vestel and the Warwickshire Cricket Board, which is working closely with more than 250 primary and secondary schools across the region. However, any school can register online, obtain a unique code for parents and gain the benefits of our cashback programme; selling 200 tickets would bring a £1,200 reward.

    “There’s just over nine weeks until the first game at Edgbaston and, in the build-up, we’re planning a programme of special coaching sessions at schools and competitions across the county with our Bears squad. We can’t wait to get underway.”

    Launched at Kingsland Primary School in Kingstanding, Bears players George Furrer and Marie Kelly joined Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street to deliver a special T20 coaching session for the pupils and gave an insight of what it takes to make it as a Bear.

    “We‘re proud to partner with Warwickshire CCC to launch the Six4Schools initiative, supporting efforts to give back to local schools while at the same time making cricket more accessible,” said David Flintoft, Sales and Marketing Director, Vestel.

    “We know through our work with schools across the country just how difficult the past year has been, for staff and pupils alike. The relationship between sport and education has always been closely aligned, so it’s great to be involved in supporting the return of both to UK life, while also putting money back into the pockets of schools, which can then be reinvested into the learning experience.”

    Launched at Kingsland Primary School in Kingstanding, Bears players George Furrer and Marie Kelly joined Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street to deliver a special T20 coaching session for the pupils and gave an insight of what it takes to make it as a Bear.

  • Bears announce new production team for Vitality Blast match days

    With just six weeks to go until the opening game of this year’s Vitality Blast at Edgbaston, the Bears have confirmed members of a new off-field team to support the in-bowl experience and live stream for those tuning in at home.

    BBC Asian Network radio and television presenter Noreen Khan will be one of the hosts stepping onto the field, whilst supporters can also watch six* of Bears Vitality Blast games at Edgbaston from home in a new match day programme hosted BBC Test Match Special commentator and stand-up comedian Aatif Nawaz.

  • Bears beat Somerset to win County Championship title

    Warwickshire won their first County Championship since 2012 as they beat Somerset by 118 runs at Edgbaston.

    After declaring at 294-3 to set Somerset 273 to win in 79 overs, the Bears bowled out the visitors for 154.

  • Bears confirm plan for potential home T20 Quarter-Final

    Birmingham Bears have confirmed arrangements for a home Vitality Blast quarter-final, should they finish in the top two of the North Group.

    Subject to qualification, the Bears will host a home quarter-final at Edgbaston Stadium on Thursday 7 July with a 6.30pm start.

  • Bears go to the dogs with Warwickshire CCC puppy litter

    Meet Robbo, Hainy, Issy, Olly, and Amiss! Together they form West Midlands Police’s Warwickshire CCC themed puppy litter which was born into the force’s Dog Unit last month.

    The latest four-legged crime fighters have been named after Bears’ First Team Coach Mark Robinson (Robbo), Sam Hain, Issy Wong, Olly Hannon-Dalby and Warwickshire Club legend Dennis Amiss. West Midlands Police (WMP) themes its puppy litters with past pups being named after footballers, members of the royal family, and characters from Harry Potter, Star Wars and Stranger Things.

  • Bears pair present cheque to Acorns after derby day fundraiser

    Sam Hain and Craig Miles took time to visit youngsters at Acorns Children’s Hospice – and handed over a cheque for almost £6,000 thanks to the generosity of Bears’ lead Vitality Blast sponsor Talbots Law. The Midlands-based law firm nominated Acorns as its charity partner for the Blast derby against Worcestershire Rapids to help raise funds for its three regional hospices.

  • Bears players help spread Christmas cheer following toy appeal

    Warwickshire County Cricket Club and the Edgbaston Foundation have again helped spread some Christmas cheer after thousands of gifts were sent out from the stadium to children across the region.

  • Bears Roadshow returns for community fun day and local league friendlies

    The popular Bears Roadshow returns in the coming weeks as Warwickshire takes the Club into the community for friendly matches against local league sides.

    Bears men’s squad will be travelling to Kenilworth Wardens CC on Monday 5 June to take on a Birmingham & District Premier Cricket League Select XI. And on Tuesday 1 August they’ll face a side featuring top performing Warwickshire County Cricket League players at Sutton Coldfield CC.

  • Bears secure Windies T20 World Cup-winner Brathwaite for Vitality Blast

    Blockbuster T20 all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite is heading to Edgbaston this summer after committing to Birmingham Bears men's team for this year's Vitality Blast.

    Braithwaite (32) became one of the biggest stars in T20 cricket after his incredible four back-to-back sixes, and 34 runs off 10 balls, took West Indies to glory in the ICC T20 World Cup final in Kolkata in 2016. The Barbadian all-rounder is currently playing in the Pakistan Super League with Multan Sultans and has played in all premier T20 tournaments, including the Vitality Blast with Kent in 2018, the Indian Premier League, the Big Bash, the Caribbean Premier League and Bangladesh Premier League.

    Bears Director of Cricket Paul Farbrace said: "Carlos is an outstanding addition to our team. He's a game changer who adds vital firepower to our middle order, but his variation with the ball gives us another strong seam bowling option.

    "I was part of the England coaching team in 2016 when Carlos' four successive sixes changed the ICC T20 World Cup final, so I'm well aware of his capabilities. I'm just glad that we'll have the benefits of his qualities now that he's signed for the Bears."

    Carlos said: "It's very exciting to join the Bears and to make Edgbaston my home this summer. I've heard a lot about the atmosphere and the big T20 crowds that come to Edgbaston to watch the Bears. I can't wait to get started this summer in the Blast.

    "I know that the team went very close to reaching the quarter finals last year, but we've got a lot of young talent in this squad and I'm hoping that we can push on further this year. Getting to Finals Day at our home ground would be fantastic."

  • Bears shirt made from coffee beans Unmuzzled for Vitality Blast

    Birmingham Bears have unveiled a striking new shirt for the Vitality Blast for the next two seasons that is inspired by a local graffiti artist and is made from a sustainable material derived from coffee beans.

    With nine weeks to go until the opening game of the 2022 Vitality Blast at Edgbaston, the new T20 shirt incorporates the traditional yellow and navy intertwined with a striking electric blue swash and inspired by a piece of graffiti at Edgbaston created by David ‘Panda’ Brown.

  • Bears-Rapids Blast derby choses Acorns Children’s Hospice as chosen charity

    Acorns will be the face of the Bears’ Vitality Blast game against Worcester Rapids after lead partner Talbots Law donated their match sponsorship to the children’s hospice.

    Talbots Law – the Bears lead Blast sponsor – has invited Acorns to be their chosen charity for the clash to help raise awareness of their work with local families and much needed funds. Acorns Children’s Hospice provides specialist palliative care for life limited and life threatened children across Birmingham, Worcester and the wider West Midlands, as well as support for their families.

  • Beijing Winter Olympic Games comes to glittering close

    The Beijing Winter Olympic Games came to its calculated end as China capped an unprecedented period in the history of the movement.

    Controlled and calibrated in ways only that particular country could pull off - in a ‘bubble’ that kept participants and the city around them well apart at arm’s length - Beijing handed off to Milan-Cortina, as it becomes the venue for the 2026 Winter Games.

  • Ben Duckett and Sophie Devine head to Edgbaston in The Hundred Draft

    England Men’s batter Ben Duckett and New Zealand Women’s all-rounder Sophie Devine are two of the big-name selections at The Hundred Draft, powered by Sage. The pair were Birmingham Phoenix’s first-round picks of the competition, with Jamie Smith, Miles Hammond, Hannah Baker, Eve Jones, and Katie Levick joining them at Edgbaston.

    Duckett, previously with Welsh Fire, will add more firepower to a top-order that already includes England Men’s duo Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone. Will Smeed, who hit the first-ever hundred in The Hundred last year, also returns.

  • Benn provisional suspension lifted

    Conor Benn's provisional suspension has been lifted after a two-year battle with UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC).

  • Benson United and David Wilson Homes celebrate young athlete’s achievements in style

    Benson United Football Club have announced the successful conclusion of its end-of-season events for each of its teams.

  • Bermuda set to host T20 World Cup regional qualifier

    Bermuda has been chosen as the host country for the finals of the Americas Region Qualifier for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup to be staged in the West Indies and United States, officials have announced.

    BCB (Bermuda Cricket Board) president, Arnold Manders, said the tournament will be held in Bermuda from September 28 to October 8, 2023.