Mettis Aerospace has long had a thriving Sports and Social Club where many employees are involved in running events for charity and the community. The facilities include extensive grounds used for sports, events and other outdoor activities so, when Redditch Borough Football Club (RBFC) was looking for a new home earlier this year, it was the perfect fit.
RBFC was founded in 2006 by Julian Workman and Michael Pearce when their sons couldn’t get into any of the local football teams. They were determined to find a solution and help others at the same time. Starting with a single team, they decided they were going to open up their new club to everyone, making it one for the community. Their welcoming approach has helped it grow and, this season, there will be 24 teams playing at the amateur sports club’s new grounds.
In addition to opening up the facilities, Mettis is sponsoring two of RBFC’s teams: The semi-professional first team and the under 11s. A number of employees are also getting involved and Steve Court, who works in testing and inspection at Mettis, is managing two of the teams.
Julian Workman said: “We’re enthralled by the sponsorship from Mettis and proud to be based at the company’s Sports and Social Club. The facility is brilliant and, as a result of all the work we’ve carried out together to get it ready for the teams, we think it’s now one of the best in the league. Our families love it too. Many live in the area so it’s a great place for everyone to come together and get involved.”
The season has been going well so far and the first team is hoping to finish in the top four, pushing for promotion.
Derek Bond, Forge Performance Manager at Mettis, has been actively involved with the company’s Sports and Social Club for over 25 years and is now its Chair. He said: “I’ve always been impressed by RBFC’s professional approach to managing its teams and developing youth football, with aspirations closely aligned to those of our sports club. We are fortunate to have extensive facilities and are delighted to be able to use these to support RBFC and broaden our involvement in the local community. We have ambitious plans for the future!”
