United By 2022 is the charity created to sustain the community legacy of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

A global audience of more than a billion received a warm West Midlands welcome as the region became home to more than 5,000 athletes across 20 sports between 28 July and 8 August 2022. Beyond the Games, the UK Government committed wider investment into the region to enhance the legacy and ensure the benefits continue their positive impact for many years to come. The change we set out to achieve with the £4.7m Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund investment was to tackle health inequalities and skills challenges in the region, by providing successful community focused pilots started during the Games with the opportunity to realise their full potential. The selection of projects was informed by community consultation which tested need, demand and emerging impact beyond 2022. Evaluation of the original initiatives launched around the Games highlighted that five of the twelve legacy programmes were making a difference to deep rooted structural inequalities for our most marginalised communities. These five initiatives were funded under the name Trailblazers and delivered by United By 2022. These programmes were funded to continue delivering award-winning impact across the region, particularly focusing on children and young people, volunteers, disabled people, and community groups. 

In collaboration with Birmingham Local Authority Officers, United By 2022 is excited to share insights into how the funding has been allocated and the benefits Coventry’s communities have gained through the Trailblazer programmes.

Key Impacts

Impact in Birmingham

Improving opportunities for young people aged 16-24

Gen22, a youth engagement programme, supports young people aged 16-24 who face a range of barriers including long-term health conditions, having a criminal record, or being a young carer or parent. Participants gain employability boosting skills by undertaking a 30-hour volunteering assignment. Across 3 Birmingham-based projects, 235 young people took part in Gen22 assignments, with 5,181 hours of social action delivered.

Sports Key, a Birmingham-based CIC promoting community engagement through sports, expanded into youth development (16-25) through Gen22, where Tegan joined after struggling with confidence and career direction post-COVID. Through workshops, mentoring, and social media experience, she gained leadership skills, managing content for major events, including Prince William’s visit. Her confidence soared, leading her to pursue media and marketing studies. Now, Tegan manages Sports Key’s social media and strategy, showcasing Gen22’s power to unlock potential and drive long-term change.

Birmingham faces several acute challenges for children and young people. Nearly half of Birmingham’s children live in the 10% most deprived areas in the country, with 8,000 living in the 1% most deprived areas and almost 3 in 10 (29.8%) households with children in Birmingham are living in lone parent households, against an England and Wales average of 25%. Additionally, as of May 2024, 6.2% of 16- to 18-year-olds in Birmingham are not engaged in education, employment, or training (NEET) or have an unknown status. This figure surpasses the West Midlands average of 5.4% and the national average of 5.3%. Programmes like young people in Birmingham.

Supporting adults in work and volunteering

Through the Volunteers Collective, the Charity’s bespoke volunteering portal and programme, United By 2022 registered 657 Birmingham-based volunteers, providing them with 401 positions and delivering a total of 21,559 hours of volunteering time at events. When participants were asked to score how much they enjoyed their involvement in the Volunteers Collective from 1-10, on average it received a score of 9.5, with volunteers saying they felt a sense of purpose, pride and belonging. The Birmingham volunteers have continued to engage in volunteering, supporting events such as Birmingham Pride and The Great Run.

Volunteering has far-reaching benefits. A 2021 Royal Voluntary Service report found that 58% of volunteers stated it helped improve their job prospects, rising to 73% among 16-19-year-olds. Volunteering also supports wider personal development such as building confidence, improving communication skills and reducing social isolation.

Providing school age children access to inclusive sport

United By 2022’s youth engagement programme Bring the Power supported young people aged 5-25 and specifically sought to address the imbalance of female representation within the sports sector by increasing access to opportunities for young people with disabilities across the digital, arts, and sport sectors. Working predominantly in school settings, Bring the Power upskilled teachers and youth leaders, by engaging with 3,437 young people across 446 sessions in 38 locations across Birmingham. When participants were asked to score how much they enjoyed their involvement in Bring the Power from 1-10, on average it received a score of 8.49.

Funded by United By 2022 through Bring the Power, Common Ground Arts commissioned a 10-week residency by artist Sharonjit Kaur at Wilson Stuart SEN School. The project explored “Eid for Everyone”, engaging students with disabilities through arts-based activities. Collaborating with a Bollywood dancer and Qawwali singer, she delivered sensory storytelling, crafts, and live performances, culminating in an Eid celebration space at the school. The project provided accessible, inclusive arts experiences, fostering cultural appreciation, belonging, and community engagement for all students involved.

Improving opportunities for disabled young people

Critical Mass is a high-profile dance and movement project that engages hundreds of young people aged 16-30 with disabilities, and without, to come together to move more and perform as a united dance group. In Birmingham, 26 young people have participated in 37 sessions across 4 locations. When participants were asked to score how much they enjoyed their involvement in Critical Mass from 1-10, on average it received a score of 9.73. Evaluation also found that people living with a disability or long-term illness were more likely to be inactive compared to people without (44% v 28%).

Conclusion

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games provided a powerful catalyst for community connection in Birmingham, bringing people together through sport, volunteering, and cultural activities. Beyond the Games, United By 2022 has continued to strengthen these connections, fostering partnerships and capacity-building through the United By 2022 Family Network, which supports 103 Birmingham-based community organisations with upskilling, workshops, and networking opportunities.

By investing in place-based, community-led initiatives, the Charity has ensured that funding reaches the most deprived and isolated communities, creating lasting opportunities for engagement. The legacy of the Games lives on through these initiatives, reinforcing a shared sense of purpose, inclusion, and empowerment across Birmingham.