Jaz Dhami helps local community to support FA’s Get Into Football campaign 

Handsworth raised British Asian singer/musician Jaz Dhami is taking time out of his busy schedule to help his local community Get Into Football, supporting The FA’s national ongoing campaign, by partnering with the BCFA and Aston Villa FC community coaches in workshops in and around Birmingham.  

The workshops will enable children from the Asian community to engage in an educational session designed to help break down barriers in football and open doors. 

Jaz will be participating in these workshops to highlight the volunteering work he has been embarking on at local Charter Standard Clubs and at Aston Villa Football Club to highlight the different facets of the game that youngsters can get into. 

To further Jaz’s involvement in the game he will be embarking on a FA Level 1 coaching course which will enable Jaz to continue his proactive work of engaging with the Asian community and making a positive impact in raising the profile of football. 

Jaz will be accompanied by Birmingham County FA Development officers, The FA’s Equality Officer Jonathan Mills, and The FA’s Brendon Batson, who works primarily to encourage participation in football from the ethnic community. The workshops will also be championed by members of the BCFA Race Equality Group, including Dr Chris Allen (Chair). 

Jaz Dhami said ‘I am very much looking forward to taking part in these workshops to help promote football within the Asian community. Football is a huge game, which I follow closely and dependent on my schedule I try to catch as many games as I can as nothing beats watching football first hand from the terraces. However it’s a shame that Asians are still fairly invisible within it. Hopefully through these workshops and through the work that I am doing with Aston Villa, I will be able to play my part in encouraging my community to get involved’  

The BCFA’s Football Development Manager Natalie Justice said ‘Having Jaz participating in these workshops will be fantastic. Jaz is a great role model for youngsters as he shows that with hard work, discipline and dedication, kids can fulfil there true potential like Jaz has done in music, which kids can carry through to the football realm’. 

Natalie added ‘Jaz has worked very closely with the BME community with his volunteer work which these workshops will highlight and hopefully kids will follow his positive footsteps’