Editing Aston Villa F.C. (section)

== Social responsibility ==
Aston Villa has a unique relationship with the [[Acorns Children's Hospice]] charity that is groundbreaking in English football.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2008/jun/03/astonvilla.premierleague | location=London | work=The Guardian | title=Aston Villa to promote charity in place of shirt sponsor | first=Alan | last=Gardner | date=3 June 2008 | access-date=11 December 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604184603/http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/03/astonvilla.premierleague | archive-date=4 June 2008 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}</ref> In a first for the Premier League, Aston Villa donated the front of its kit shirts, usually reserved for high-paying sponsorships, to Acorns Hospice so that the charity would gain significant additional visibility and more funds.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:LTIB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=12119458D002D8B0&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815 |title=Aston Villa's bold initiative boosts charity |date=4 June 2008 |first=Peter |last=Lansley |work=The Sunday Times |format=reprint hosted at NewsBank |access-date=6 September 2010 |location=London |archive-date=10 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110080330/http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004 |url-status=live }}</ref> Outside of the shirt sponsorship the club has paid for hospice care for the charity as well as regularly providing player visits to hospice locations.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2009/12/23/villa-stars-visit-acorns-hospice-in-walsall-97319-25449125/ |title=Aston Villa stars visit Acorns Hospice in Walsall |date=23 December 2009 |last=Kendrick |first=Mathew |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |access-date=19 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020041311/http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2009/12/23/villa-stars-visit-acorns-hospice-in-walsall-97319-25449125/ |archive-date=20 October 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.acorns.org.uk/aston-villa-acorns-in-partnership |title=Aston Villa & Acorns in partnership |publisher=Acorns Children's Hospice |access-date=31 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430034643/http://www.acorns.org.uk/aston-villa-acorns-in-partnership |archive-date=30 April 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In September 2010, Aston Villa launched an initiative at Villa Park called Villa Midlands Food (VMF) where the club will spend two years training students with Aston Villa hospitality and events in association with Birmingham City Council. The club opened a restaurant in the Trinity Road Stand staffed with 12 students recruited from within a 10-mile (16&nbsp;km) radius of Villa Park with most of the food served in the restaurant sourced locally.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2010/09/20/aston-villa-s-new-restaurant-hopes-to-serve-up-hospitality-success-to-disaffected-youngsters-97319-27300435/ |title=Aston Villa's new restaurant hopes to serve up hospitality success to disaffected youngsters |last=Kendrick |first=Mathew |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |date=20 September 2010 |access-date=11 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110917114042/http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2010/09/20/aston-villa-s-new-restaurant-hopes-to-serve-up-hospitality-success-to-disaffected-youngsters-97319-27300435/ |archive-date=17 September 2011 }}</ref>

=== Aston Villa Foundation ===
In 2016, Aston Villa created a [[Registered Charity|registered charity]], the Aston Villa Foundation.<ref>{{Cite web|date=31 May 2020|title=Aston Villa Foundation - Charity Number 1152848|url=https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5039247/charity-overview|url-status=live|access-date=4 May 2021|website=Charity Commission For England and Wales|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504140142/https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5039247/charity-overview |archive-date=4 May 2021 }}</ref> The aim of the charity is to deliver the social responsibility work of Aston Villa. Working alongside key local and national stakeholders, the Foundation delivers projects such as football in the community, disability, health and wellbeing, education, interventions and community relations.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Foundation|url=https://www.avfc.co.uk/foundation/|url-status=live|access-date=4 May 2021|website=Aston Villa F.C. Official Site|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408083311/https://www.avfc.co.uk/foundation |archive-date=8 April 2019 }}</ref>

In May 2021, [[Prince William, Duke of Cambridge]] met with members of the Foundation at Aston Villa's [[Bodymoor Heath Training Ground]]. This was following the Foundation providing 1000 hot meals a week to local organisations during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom]] as well as allowing a local [[NHS trust|NHS Trust]] to make use of [[Villa Park]]'s facilities.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Preece|first=Ashley|date=4 May 2021|title=Prince William laughs with Aston Villa players as he visits football club he supports|work=The Mirror|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/prince-william-laughs-aston-villa-24035443|access-date=4 May 2021|archive-date=4 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504132314/https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/prince-william-laughs-aston-villa-24035443|url-status=live}}</ref>