Chamber president supports sport-for-employment charity

A Birmingham charity that uses the power of sport to help young people reach their potential has been named as Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce president Andy Dawson’s chosen charity.

Sport 4 Life UK supports disadvantaged young people by providing the skills, qualifications and support needed to find work and shape successful futures.

The charity provides a holistic programme of sport, mentoring, qualifications and employability support to improve their mental health and wellbeing, life skills and route to end unemployment. 

The project was started by founder and CEO Tom Clarke-Forrest with no staff or funding and has grown to become the leading sport-for-employability organisation in the region.

Tom was awarded an MBE for services to young people in the New Year Honours list.

He said: “We’re incredibly proud that Sport 4 Life UK has been chosen as the GBCC President’s Charity for 2026.

“As a charity with deep roots in Birmingham and a strong commitment to supporting young people across the region, this partnership feels especially meaningful to us.

“We’re delighted that Andy Dawson has chosen to support our work, and we’re looking forward to working closely with him and the Chamber over the coming year to build a positive partnership that creates real impact for the young people and communities we serve.”

As the President’s Charity for 2026, Sport 4 Life UK will benefit from Chamber-backed initiatives throughout the year including fundraising at the annual awards dinner at the ICC on Thursday 14 May.

Andy Dawson said: “It is the responsibility of any leader to create opportunity for their people.

“However, there are some members of our society that get overlooked or are hidden from view.

“The future success of any city or country falls to the next generation, and sadly there are a lot of young and disadvantaged people who don’t get presented with the opportunities that they need to thrive and succeed.

“That is why I am delighted to name Sport 4 Life UK as my charity of the year.

“For years, Tom and his team have been busy creating opportunities for people across our region, helping young people to create a better future for themselves.

“They provide mentoring, employability programmes and wrap this around the world of sport.  

“It’s not easy right now, so everything we can do will make a difference in the months ahead.”

Pictured: Tom Clarke-Forrest and Andy Dawson