The Bradford (Park Avenue) Sports Foundation is proud to announce Brush Strokes of Belonging — a unique creative and active workshop taking place at Horsfall Community Stadium on Monday 27 October 2025 (10am–2pm).

Designed for young people aged 8–16 — with a particular focus on neurodivergent children and young people with autism, ADHD, and SEMH needs — this special event offers a supportive environment to express creativity, build confidence, and connect through sport and art.

Delivered in partnership with Burley Banksy (Andy McVeigh) and SENDiVERSE Festival 2025, the workshop will give participants the opportunity to design and paint large-scale football-themed banners that celebrate community, belonging, and self-expression. Each banner will be proudly displayed around the stadium, allowing young people to see their creativity showcased in a public space.

Alongside the art sessions, participants will also enjoy inclusive football activities led by Foundation coaches — promoting teamwork, fun, and physical wellbeing in a relaxed, supportive setting. The combination of art and sport reflects the Foundation’s mission to make every child feel valued, confident, and connected, both on and off the pitch.

The celebration doesn’t end there — all participants will be invited back for a follow-up event on Saturday 15 November 2025, when Bradford (Park Avenue) host Consett (3pm kick-off). The young artists will attend the match as official mascots, with their artwork displayed around the ground, celebrating inclusion, creativity, and community spirit.

💚 Event Details
Date: Monday 27 October 2025
Time: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Location: Horsfall Community Stadium, BD6 2NG
For: Young people aged 8–16 (must be accompanied by a parent/carer)
Focus: Neurodivergent children and young people with autism, ADHD, and SEMH needs

🎨 Follow-Up Event:
Saturday 15 November – Bradford (Park Avenue) vs Consett (3pm KO)
Participants will attend as matchday mascots and see their artwork showcased around the ground.

👉 Sign up here: https://forms.gle/Bb8RF71WtBmemm1y5
📩 For more information: Mathew.Everett@bpafc.com

A few weeks ago, the Bradford (Park Avenue) Sports Foundation was proud to represent our community at the Rotary District Conference, held at the historic Scarborough Spa.

The two-day event celebrated the outstanding work of Rotary clubs across Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire in supporting young people, the environment, health, and community wellbeing.

Our Community Director, Mat Everett, was invited to present as part of the Youth Showcase, delivering an engaging session on the Foundation’s partnership work with Rotary and the positive impact these projects are having in Bradford.

Mat highlighted the progress of key initiatives including Rotary Kickback, Breaking Barriers, and our ongoing Extra Time Club sessions — all designed to use football as a force for good, helping young people build confidence, resilience, and community connection.

The conference featured an inspiring range of speakers, including keynote presentations from Rev. Kate Bottley and Christa Ackroyd, alongside panels exploring youth engagement, leadership, and wellbeing. Attendees also enjoyed live performances from a Rotary Young Musician finalist, interactive showcases, and a live illustrator capturing the energy of the weekend.

💚 The Foundation would like to thank Rotary in Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire for the invitation and their continued support of our work. Together, we’re creating opportunities and changing lives through sport, education, and partnership.

👉 Support the Bradford (Park Avenue) Sports Foundation and our work across the community: https://localgiving.org/charity/bpasportsfoundation

The Bradford (Park Avenue) Sports Foundation has released a powerful new video showcasing the impact of its Breaking Barriers initiative — an education and prevention programme tackling knife crime, violence, and anti-social behaviour through honest discussion, lived experience, and sport.

The video features Councillor Naushad Moosa, ward officer for Royds Ward, alongside pupils who attended the event at Horsfall Community Stadium, where young people took part in interactive workshops, football activities, and inspiring sessions with guest speakers including Tim Haigh of Lived Experiences.

Councillor Moosa said:

“Knife crime doesn’t just affect individuals — it affects families, friends, and whole neighbourhoods. Too many lives have been changed or lost because of one bad decision or one moment of anger.”

“This workshop is about changing that story — it’s about awareness, prevention, and giving young people the confidence to make positive choices.”

During the event, pupils shared what they learned about decision-making, consequences, and responsibility:

“It’s been a great experience to come to Bradford Park Avenue because we’ve learned a lot — if you have a knife, you’ve got to think before you do something. If a friend tells you to do something wrong and you just do it, the police can arrest you, and like Tim said, it’s a horrible feeling.”

Another participant reflected:

“Violence is not okay. We learned so much about how to keep ourselves safe — and that carrying a knife could mean a lifetime in jail.”

Breaking Barriers was developed by the Bradford (Park Avenue) Sports Foundation in collaboration with West Yorkshire Police, the NHS, and Lived Experiences, to help young people see the real impact of violent choices — not through fear, but through understanding, empathy, and truth.

Councillor Moosa praised the approach, adding:

“This kind of work is proactive, not reactive. It’s about education, prevention, and reaching young people early — giving them the right tools to make better decisions.”

💚 The Foundation would like to thank Councillor Naushad Moosa, Tim Haigh, and all the schools and partners involved in delivering another meaningful and inspiring Breaking Barriers event.

👉 Watch the full video below and support our ongoing community work: https://localgiving.org/charity/bpasportsfoundation