Shenley Lane Community Association And Sports Centre
Charity 518218
Overview
Summary
Shenley Lane Community Association And Sports Centre appears to operate as a long-established neighbourhood anchor: using buildings, sports facilities and community space to combine recreation with wider social welfare aims. Its role seems broader than venue provision, positioning the centre as a locally informed connector that can either respond directly to need or link residents to schools, charities, businesses and public representatives. The available evidence suggests an asset-based model in which historic sports infrastructure supports community development and social connection across generations.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Weoley and Selly Oak
Confidence: high
Direct evidence identifies the association's active community and sports venue, with current opening hours and facilities. Birmingham City Council's planning record identifies the association's clubhouse as being in the Weoley & Selly Oak ward.
- Shenley Lane Community Association & Sports Centre website, Contact page
Direct evidence: the organisation identifies its community and sports venue, names an Association Manager, and publishes current weekly opening hours. - Shenley Lane Community Association & Sports Centre website, homepage
Direct evidence: the organisation describes Shenley Lane as its community facility, offering a community hub, function room and sports provision including cricket and football facilities used by Northfield Town FC and other local clubs. - Birmingham City Council planning application 2010/02415/PA
Direct evidence on location: the council record for an extension to the association's clubhouse lists the site ward as Weoley & Selly Oak.
Remaining uncertainties
- The evidence supports one active physical operating base in Weoley & Selly Oak, but does not identify current services delivered by the association at other sites in Birmingham.
- The charity's governing document defines its area of benefit as the Shenley Manor and Shenley Court estates and their neighbourhood. This supports a neighbourhood-based identity, but it is not by itself direct evidence of the precise present-day geographic reach of every service.
- The website describes relationships with schools, charities, businesses and local political representatives, including Shenley Academy and Turves Green Boys. It says these links help the association refer people when it cannot meet a need itself; it does not establish that the association directly delivers services at those partners' locations.
- Sports clubs using the site may draw players or visitors from beyond the immediate neighbourhood, but the available evidence does not show that this amounts to a district-wide or citywide service footprint.
Additional evidence needed
- A current programme, timetable or annual report specifying where outreach, advice, community-hub activities and sports sessions are delivered.
- Current partnership agreements or partner statements confirming whether the association delivers activity off-site, rather than only referring residents or hosting partner-linked activity at Shenley Lane.
- Current participant or booking data showing the geographic origins of regular users, if wider catchment is relevant to assessing whether the footprint extends beyond the neighbourhood.
Areas of work
- Amateur Sport
- Economic/community Development/employment
- General Charitable Purposes
Who they help
- Children/young People
- Elderly/old People
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
- Provides Human Resources
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A community hub built around shared physical assets
The organisation appears to use its premises and sports ground as practical infrastructure for social welfare, rather than treating recreation as an end in itself. Facilities may create repeated, low-barrier opportunities for residents of different ages to meet, participate and seek support.
Why it matters
This helps explain how a charity with broad community-development objects may sustain a visible local role: its buildings and activities provide regular points of contact with the community.
Show evidence
“The charity provides buildings, facilities and open space.”
Source:Charity Commission“Shenley Lane has become a centre of recreational, economic and social interaction for our local community.”
Source:Organisation“Its facilities include a community hub, function room and sports provision.”
Source:Organisation
Connector role may be as important as direct delivery
The organisation appears to see itself as part of a wider local support network, not as a self-contained provider. Its stated practice of referring people when it cannot meet a need may indicate a brokerage role based on local trust and relationships.
Why it matters
Understanding this connector function is important because the organisation's civic value may include making other services more reachable, particularly for residents who do not readily navigate formal support systems.
Show evidence
“The charity states that it has developed a broad network of schools, local politicians, charities and businesses.”
Source:Organisation“It states that if it cannot meet a community need itself, it can put people in touch with those who can.”
Source:Organisation“Its objects include associating local authorities, voluntary organisations and inhabitants in a common effort.”
Source:Charity Commission
Sport appears to be a durable route into broader community participation
The continued use of cricket and football facilities by multiple clubs suggests that sport may provide an established pathway into the centre's wider community ecosystem. This may give the organisation relationships with groups that would not initially engage through a conventional community-service offer.
Why it matters
It distinguishes the organisation from a generic hall provider: sporting activity may create recurring membership, intergenerational contact and an enduring local identity around the site.
Show evidence
“The ground was opened in 1938 with two football pitches and one cricket pitch.”
Source:Organisation“Cricket is played regularly at Shenley Lane by a number of local clubs.”
Source:Organisation“Northfield Town FC has played at the ground since 1966.”
Source:Organisation
- Which residents use the hub, sports facilities and events, and whether participation reflects the area's most deprived or vulnerable groups.
- How active and reciprocal the stated partnerships are, beyond referral or association.
- Whether the organisation's community-development work extends beyond hiring facilities and hosting activities.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent annual reports, service data and participant feedback showing activities, reach, needs addressed and outcomes.
- Partnership agreements or examples of joint projects, referrals and collaborations with named organisations.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
To povide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation, sport and leisure time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the inhabitants.
Charity objects
THE OBJECTS OF THE ASSOCIATION SHALL BE: (A) TO PROMOTE THE BENEFIT OF THE INHABITNATS OF THE ESTATE OF SHENLEY MANOR AND SHENLEY COURT AND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD (HEREAFTER CALLED THE "AREA OF BENEFIT") WITHOUT DISTINCTION OF SEX OR OF POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS OR OTHER OPINIONS BY ASSOCIATING THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES VOLUNTARY OGANISATIONS AND INHABITANTS IN A COMMON EFFORT TO ADVANCE EDUCATION AND TO PROVIDE FACILITIES IN THE INTERESTS OF SOCIAL WELFARE FOR RECREATION AND LEISURE-TIME OCCUPATION WITH THE OBJECT OF IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS OF LIFE FOR THE SAID INHABITANTS.