West Midlands Mayor Andy Street published a statement on social media, confirming that he had arranged the meeting due to concerns over the engagement of Birmingham 2022 with communities across the region.

Street did not reveal the exact nature of the worries that had been expressed to him by "a number of people whom I respect and admire" but claimed it was "clear that something had to be done to encourage positive change".

The Mayor stressed that it was important that communities "play the fullest part possible in the success of the Games" and was "confident tangible outcome will now follow" after setting up the meeting.

In response to Street’s statement, Qamar Riaz, headteacher at the King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls’ Academy in Birmingham, said it was a "positive" move as he expressed his concerns.

"I am head of a girls’ school on the doorstep of the Games and there has been little or no engagement from the organisers and no apparent vision or legacy the Games will offer the local community/wider region," Riaz posted on Twitter.

"I look forward to the outcome of the meeting."

Street said diversity was "one of the key reasons" Birmingham secured the hosting rights for the Commonwealth Games, scheduled to run from July 28 to August 8.

But he insisted "they must resonate with the very communities they want to represent and benefit".

"In recent weeks, a number of people whom I respect and admire have put to me directly their concerns about the engagement the organisers of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games have had with communities across the West Midlands," the statement from Street read.

"The diversity of our region is one of the key reasons we managed to secure this once-in-a-generation event, and the Games must tap into and resonate with the very communities they want to represent and benefit.

"In light of community concerns, I have agreed with the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee that they will meet faith and community leaders in our region from across the West Midlands to help ensure communities in our region play the fullest part possible in the success of the Games.

"I am convening this meeting as Mayor and I am grateful to Amrick Singh Ubhi, chair of our Faith Strategic Partnership Group for agreeing to lead the meeting.

"I know the Games’ organisers will use this occasion to listen and learn from leaders on the ground so they can seek to fix what they know they haven’t got right as yet.

"Part of my job as Mayor is to address the concerns of the West Midlands residents and having heard the strength of feeling from communities regarding their involvement with the Commonwealth Games it was clear that something had to be done to encourage positive change.

"I am confident tangible outcomes will now follow."

Birmingham 2022 chief executive Ian Reid claimed organisers had "continued to meet with community groups in recent weeks" and added that they had arranged further meetings on the back of the feedback that they had been receiving.

"We will amplify our community engagement during the countdown to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and look forward to staging even more roadshows, workshops, forums, visits and meetings," Reid told insidethegames.

"We have heard the concerns that local community leaders have expressed, we welcome their feedback, and we look forward to further discussions, including this particular meeting that the Mayor has organised.

"Thousands of local people from communities across Birmingham and the region are already part of our workforce, our volunteer programme, our ceremonies, our legacy programme, our festival, the Queen’s Baton Relay, our youth programme and our festival live sites, and we will continue to ensure we take every opportunity to get even more local people involved in the Games."