Bank partners with Birmingham County FA to support sustainability initiatives within grassroots football 

Unity Trust Bank has partnered with the Birmingham County Football Association (BCFA) to support local sustainability initiatives.  

Unity is sponsoring the BCFA’s ‘Green Innovation Fund’, which supports the sustainability efforts of local grassroots football clubs through green project funding.  

BCFA affiliated clubs can apply to receive up to £500 to support their environmental initiatives. 

More than 150 grassroots organisations have already benefited from the fund since its inception in season 22-23.  

As part of its sponsorship, Unity will contribute £12,500 to the £16,000 fund.

It will also join the BCFA judging panel to help select this year’s successful applicants.  

Following its launch in April, the initiative received 34 applications from local and volunteer-led football clubs across the West Midlands.  

The judging process is now under way to determine the successful 15, with the winning applicants to be announced in August.

The application window will then open again later in the year. 

BCFA is the not-for-profit governing body for football across Birmingham, the Black Country, Coventry and Warwickshire.

It supports more than 900 grassroots football clubs with nearly 6,000 teams across the region.  

The BCFA’s ‘Green Innovation Fund’ is part of its ‘Save Today, Play Tomorrow’ programme, which is committed to transforming the way sport approaches its environmental, social and economic impact.  

The programme empowers organisations to implement their own environmental initiatives, with a toolkit of resources focused on climate action, social impact, and financial stability. 

In 2024, both Unity and the BCFA were recipients of the King’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development.  

The BCFA was recognised for its ‘Save Today, Play Tomorrow’ programme and its proactive approach in leading sustainability initiatives for its member clubs. 

Unity received the honour for its work supporting socially-minded customers and its own commitment to responsible business practices. 

Colin Fyfe, CEO of Unity Trust Bank, said: “At Unity, we believe in the power of collaboration.

“By combining resources and expertise through partnerships with organisations like BCFA, who share our mission to create a better future, we can further amplify the impact we each create. 

“What excites us most about the ‘Save Today, Play Tomorrow’ initiative, is seeing how local football is stepping up to tackle environmental challenges.  

"These clubs are at the heart of their communities, and by empowering them to implement sustainability programmes at this grassroots level, the benefits extend far beyond the pitch. 

“By supporting the BCFA’s ‘Green Innovation Fund’, we’re proud to be helping great green ideas turn into reality, one club at a time.”  

Unity was founded by the trade union movement in 1984 to serve the common good.

It assesses every loan proposal against the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and the social benefit it will create, to ensure the bank’s funding has demonstrable impact. 

Pictured from left to right: Kevin Shoemake, chief executive at Birmingham County Football Association with Colin Fyfe, CEO at Unity Trust Bank.