Pictured above: Messi and Ronaldo won't be able to make the Pertemps People Development Group five-a-side tournament, but Malcolm Edwards, Malcolm Buchanan, Rebekah Stewart and Wayne McFarqhar will be there with teams from Birmingham

Rooney, Ronaldo and Messi - just some of the greatest names in football who will NOT be taking part in a fun five-a-side tournament taking place in Birmingham.

While the world's greatest players are preparing for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, local players will be competing for bragging rights at the event being staged in Aston.

Football is being used by employment experts to break through boundaries and build community links in the city. Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG) has organised the five-a-side football tournament and fun day in partnership with Aston Pride New Deal for Communities.

Malcolm Buchanan, PPDG's team leader for the Aston Pride initiative, has called on local unemployed men and women to enter teams of seven players for the free event on Saturday, May 29, from 1pm to 5pm. The action will take place at Aston Park's all weather pitches, Trinity Road.

The free family fun day will also include beauty treatments, a bouncy castle and children's entertainment.

He said: "We're not looking for the next Wayne Rooney or Lionel Messi. This event is for football fanatics or those who just enjoy a kickabout with friends. We want teams from across the Aston Pride area to come along and have some competitive fun, meet other local people and socialise. It is aimed primarily at unemployed people and will give us an opportunity to tell them how they can overcome unemployment and highlight the training and job opportunities that are available. We are also keen to promote community cohesion through sport."

To register a team call Malcolm on 0121 359 3024 or visit PPDG's Newtown Advancement Centre, 40 Newtown shopping centre, and complete an application form. Teams need a minimum of seven players. Each 10-minute match will be refereed by Pertemps Coachright's qualified sports coaches.

PPDG and Aston Pride are working together to give local people the best possible chance of finding a job despite the current tough economic climate. PPDG's team of employment experts provide advice on benefits, confidence building, one-to-one support, CV and interview preparation, and finding the right job or training course.

PPDG works in partnership with Jobcentre Plus and other organisations to deliver Welfare to Work Government-funded employment and training initiatives including Flexible New Deal, the Working Neighbourhoods Fund and Learndirect training programmes. More than 100,000 job seekers have been helped into sustained employment by the company since the projects began. It has also trained over 130,000 people in vocational skills, and more than 175,000 people have benefited from professional information, advice and guidance services.

Aston Pride - a 10-year, £54 million regeneration initiative - aims to transform the economic culture of Aston by reducing unemployment and raising household incomes. It encourages residents to aspire to achieve their fullest potential and collaborate in acquiring a sense of common purpose and community identity.  It is also providing intelligent support for training, learning, the social economy, and business investment and development.