M&Y holds a strong belief in leaving a positive impact in the communities we work in. That’s why we’re proud to be partners of Avro FC, a football club based in the Limeside area of Oldham, Greater Manchester.
Avro FC has an important role within its local community, delivering initiatives that promote health, wellbeing, inclusion and personal development. Through our partnership, we’re ensuring even more people can benefit from these opportunities.
The partnership helps children, young people and vulnerable adults get access to new opportunities through a range of programmes.
Avro FC’s Holiday Activity Camps for local children
The school holidays can be challenging for families needing to seek affordable childcare and things to do that are fun and engaging for children. M&Y wanted to support Avro to provide 42 children aged between 6 and 13 with fully funded places at a four-day holiday camp.
The programmes offered a range of activities designed to keep children active, creative and engaged during the holidays. The activities included:
- Football sessions
- Arts and crafts
- Road safety workshops
- Health eating sessions
Every child was also provided with a hot meal each day, ensuring they were given access to nutritious food throughout the programme.
Helping to remove barriers to taking part in the programme meant these children had access to a space that provided a safe, supportive environment to learn new skills, make friends and enjoy the school holidays.
Encouraging girls to get involved in football
A key initiative through our partnership is Avro’s ‘Give it a Go, Girl!’ campaign, which aims to encourage more girls to get involved in football, regardless of ability or previous experience.
Funding from M&Y is helping to deliver free activities like Avro’s football roadshows in local primary schools. These will introduce approximately 900 girls between 5 and 11 years old to football. The programme also features a Future Stars pathway. Creating opportunities for girls who have never played football before to build their confidence and get involved in the game.
Speaking about the initiative and our partnership, Charlie O’Brien, Chief Operating Officer at Avro, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to partner with M&Y on this transformative initiative. Their commitment to funding our ‘Give it a Go, Girl’ campaign demonstrates a shared vision that every girl, regardless of ability or background should have the opportunity to experience the joy and benefits of football.
This partnership sits at the heart of our women and girls strategy for the next five years.”
Gill Kelly, Managing Director at M&Y, shared:
“We’re passionate about creating opportunities and helping people realise their potential, which is why this partnership feels like such a natural fit.
The club’s commitment to ensuring girls feel welcome, included and encouraged to take part in football resonates with our own ambition to see more women in the construction industry.
Both industries have historically faced challenges around representation, so it’s fantastic to be supporting initiatives that work to break down those barriers, giving young women the confidence to try something new.”
Supporting Avro FC through volunteering
Beyond programme funding, 6 of our M&Y colleagues dedicated 40 hours of their time for a community ‘Pitch-in Day’, where the teams time was spent improving the facilities of the club.
Teams carried out a variety of improvement works, including:
- Painting and decorating
- Electrical upgrades
- Joinery
- Maintenance
- Construction of new equipment and facilities
Alongside this, around £10,000 worth of materials were donated to support the works.
These improvements were completed with the aim of helping the club continue to grow its community, which already welcomes over 1,000 visitors a week, including around 500 young people participating in sports and activities.
Supporting vulnerable adults through the beautiful game
Our partnership also supports Avro FC’s Changing Lives Team, which works with people who are:
- Experiencing homelessness
- At risk of homelessness
- Living in supported accommodation
Football is a powerful platform to bring people together, and thanks to this programme, vulnerable people have a place they can go on a regular basis to improve their wellbeing, make new friends and connections and build back their confidence.
In the past year, around 30 individuals local to Avro have regularly accessed the programme, who benefit from a positive, supportive and welcoming environment.
M&Y and Avro FC: Building strong communities together
While the partnership officially began in July 2026, it has already been hugely beneficial to the local community.
We’re so proud to be working with Avro FC, and we’re excited to build on the successes of the partnership and create more opportunities for local people across Oldham.
