On 21st June 2019 the West Midland RFCA sponsored the Birmingham Youth Sports Academy’s (BYSA) Annual Gala Charity dinner at Villa Park. The evening was to celebrate its seventeenth year and mark an exceptional year for them, having signed the Armed Forces Covenant, launched their mentoring and education programmes, as well as an interview with BBC news. The event was attended by local businesses, Chambers of Commerce, as well as some big names including Manish Bhasin as host, and ex-footballers Mark Walters, Tony Daley and Gary Shaw.
Speakers at the gala included football legend John Barnes and Major Naveed Muhammed MBE, National Liaison Officer for Army HQ Regional Command. Major Muhammed spoke about the Armed Forces Covenant and the benefits to both employers and the Armed Forces family.