Jim Parkes

Because of the lack of the sporting facilities for young people in Great Barr Jim Parkes founded the Twenty-Two Club in 1960. A Bedford Ambulance was purchased for £35 and the Club became Britain's only Mobile Youth Club. The Club ambulance took the Club Football team to Paris. A trip to West Berlin helped create a Man-Made mountain . A drive to Moscow at the height of the Cold War. In 1970 Jim was appointed the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Officer for the Birmingham Inner City Area. The priority was to organise a series of international exchanges that could become accessible to multiracial teenagers, some from deprived backgrounds. He worked with Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela. At the personal request of Prince Philip, Jim became Bursary Programme Manager of the Outward Bound Trust. By recruiting international celebrities, money was raised to support young people whose parents could not afford the cost of a residential course. Additional contributions to the community have refereeing 3,000 football matches over the past 51 years. He has also just concluded a quarter of a centenary as a Magistrate, as a Victim Support Officer (3 years) volunteering 3 days per week. The amount of money Jim Parkes has raised to date in support of young people stands at £6,435,000. Jim has just successfully completed 3 months treatment for prostate Cancer.