Avery Fields Community Foundation
Charity 1173146
Overview
Summary
Avery Fields Community Foundation appears to be a place-based sports infrastructure charity operating across Birmingham and Sandwell. Its core role is likely to be enabling participation rather than directly delivering a narrow programme: it provides facilities and opportunities for amateur sport, with rugby union as a stated anchor but not an exclusive focus. Its broad secondary charitable power may allow the organisation to respond to wider local needs, although the available evidence does not show how, or whether, that flexibility is being used.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Harborne
Confidence: high
Direct evidence identifies Avery Fields as the Foundation's operating base and describes it as a sports and community hub. Birmingham City Council planning material identifies the site as being in Harborne. The Foundation's site-based activities, including sports camps and community programmes, are therefore strongly evidenced in this ward.
- Avery Fields Sports & Events — About (official website) ([averyfields.co.uk](https://averyfields.co.uk/about/?utm_source=openai))
Describes Avery Fields as a sports and community hub operated in partnership with Avery Fields Community Foundation. - Birmingham City Council — Planning Committee record for Avery Fields ([birmingham.cmis.uk.com](https://birmingham.cmis.uk.com/Birmingham/Document.ashx?FgPlIEJYlotS%2BYGoBi5olA%3D%3D=NHdURQburHA%3D&WGewmoAfeNQ16B2MHuCpMRKZMwaG1PaO=ctNJFf55vVA%3D&WGewmoAfeNR9xqBux0r1Q8Za60lavYmz=ctNJFf55vVA%3D&czJKcaeAi5tUFL1DTL2UE4zNRBcoShgo=5dLNGTB24qWY1fxurY4YG7y%2BGl8RvROlb7VH9vtpHI4pWfI64YpNaA%3D%3D&d9Qjj0ag1Pd993jsyOJqFvmyB7X0CSQK=ctNJFf55vVA%3D&kCx1AnS9%2FpWZQ40DXFvdEw%3D%3D=hFflUdN3100%3D&mCTIbCubSFfXsDGW9IXnlg%3D%3D=hFflUdN3100%3D&rUzwRPf%2BZ3zd4E7Ikn8Lyw%3D%3D=pwRE6AGJFLDNlh225F5QMaQWCtPHwdhUfCZ%2FLUQzgA2uL5jNRG4jdQ%3D%3D&uJovDxwdjMPoYv%2BAJvYtyA%3D%3D=ctNJFf55vVA%3D&utm_source=openai))
Identifies the Avery Fields site as being in Harborne. - Avery Fields Sports & Events — What We Do (official website) ([averyfields.co.uk](https://averyfields.co.uk/community/what-we-do/))
States that the Foundation runs regular rugby and multi-sports camps and engagement programmes.
Remaining uncertainties
- The Foundation's website describes the facility as Edgbaston, while Birmingham City Council planning material identifies the same site as Harborne. The evidence supports recording Harborne ward for the physical site, but does not justify separately recording Edgbaston ward without a definitive current ward-boundary source.
- The Foundation offers programmes to schools through Community Group and works with the National Literacy Trust, but the available evidence does not name participating schools or delivery locations. It is therefore unclear whether those programmes currently extend operational delivery into other Birmingham wards.
- Bournville RFC is the facility's anchor tenant and the venue is used by local communities in Edgbaston, Harborne and Bearwood. This supports an interpretation of a local multi-neighbourhood catchment, but does not demonstrate Foundation-operated services in each of those areas.
- The charity's stated objects cover Birmingham and Sandwell, but these are purposes rather than evidence of current delivery across all of Birmingham or Sandwell.
Additional evidence needed
- A current programme schedule or impact report naming the schools, community organisations and venues where Foundation staff deliver activities.
- A current ward-boundary source confirming the ward containing Avery Fields.
- Details from the Foundation or its partners distinguishing activities delivered directly by the Foundation from activities delivered by venue users or tenants.
Areas of work
- Amateur Sport
- General Charitable Purposes
Who they help
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
Sport is the organisation's route into community participation
The available evidence suggests that the foundation treats amateur sport, particularly rugby union, as a means of bringing the wider public into healthy recreation rather than serving a defined membership or beneficiary group.
Why it matters
This frames the organisation as civic infrastructure with a potentially inclusive public role, rather than simply a club-support body. It raises useful questions about who is able to access the facilities and opportunities provided.
Show evidence
“The charity promotes community participation in healthy recreation through facilities and opportunities for amateur sport, particularly but not limited to rugby union football.”
Source:Charity Commission“The charity helps the general public.”
Source:Charity Commission
The foundation's likely operating asset is place
Because its stated method is providing buildings, facilities or open space, the organisation appears more likely to create the conditions for activity than to be defined by a single sports programme.
Why it matters
Facilities can support multiple organisations, informal users and future activities. Understanding the sites, access arrangements and other users would therefore reveal more about the foundation's local influence than sport labels alone.
Show evidence
“The charity provides buildings, facilities or open space.”
Source:Charity Commission“The charity provides facilities and opportunities for the playing of amateur sport.”
Source:Organisation
Rugby is an anchor, not necessarily a boundary
Rugby union is unusually prominent in the organisation's purpose, but the explicit qualification that activity is not limited to rugby suggests potential scope for wider sports provision or partnerships.
Why it matters
This may create an opportunity to connect rugby-rooted assets and relationships with organisations serving people who are less likely to engage through rugby. Whether that potential is realised remains unknown.
Show evidence
“The charity's objects refer in particular, but not limited to, rugby union football.”
Source:Charity Commission“The charity exists to provide opportunities for amateur sport in Birmingham and Sandwell.”
Source:Organisation
- Which facilities or open spaces the foundation provides, and whether it owns, manages or funds them.
- Who uses its provision in practice, including age groups, communities and organisations.
- Whether its wider charitable-purpose power is actively used beyond sport.
Remaining uncertainties
- Details of sites, access arrangements, usage levels and partner organisations.
- Annual reports or activity records showing programmes, funding, governance and changes over time.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
The charity exists to promote community participation in healthy recreation by the provision of facilities and opportunities for the playing of amateur sport, in particular but not limited to rugby union football in the City of Birmingham and Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council areas.
Charity objects
THE PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN HEALTHY RECREATION BY THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PLAYING OF AMATEUR SPORT, IN PARTICULAR, BUT NOT LIMITED TO RUGBY UNION FOOTBALL. THE ADVANCEMENT OF SUCH OTHER CHARITABLE PURPOSES (ACCORDINGLY TO THE LAW OF ENGLAND AND WALES) AS THE TRUSTEES SEE FIT FROM TIME TO TIME.