Young Leadership initiatives across the county are coordinated by Worcestershire FA's Youth Council with Worcestershire FA supporting the National Football Futures Programme.

Youth Council

Worcestershire FA Youth Council is a group of volunteers aged 16-24 who strive to create opportunities, inspire and provide a voice for the Children & Young People (CYP) network across the County. As young leaders they deliver events by young people, for young people. All members have been recognised for their volunteer efforts previously in The FA Football Futures programme as excelling young leaders of the game.

To find more information about events and programmes that the Youth Council are delivering this season please contact us via:

Email: youthcouncil@worcestershirefa.com

Twitter: @WFAyouthcouncil

Facebook: Worcestershire FA Youth Council

The FA Football Futures Programme is open to anyone aged 14-24 who loves football.

Are you interested in being rewarded for completing voluntary hours within football? Do you want to know what you can do to continue developing as a young leader on your football pathway? Need help finding a placement to become more involved in football?

Worcestershire FA encourages young leaders aged between 14 and 24 to volunteer within football across the county. This could be by coaching at a club, refereeing at school or even by running a website or Twitter account for your local football team!

As a young leader you can take part in this rewarding programme for FREE by completing a registration form (at the bottom of the page) or by clicking here.

How can I complete my voluntary hours?

You can complete hours within one or a combination of the following 6 themes:

• Coaching and working with teams
• Refereeing
• Running and supporting events
• Promoting the Game
• Running and developing the Game
• RESPECT Ambassador

What are the benefits of volunteering?

• FA certificate awarded for 10, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175 & 200 hours volunteering
• FREE kit/equipment!
• Bursaries on coaching/refereeing/football courses!
• Develop your leadership experience and link to other courses, e.g. Duke of Edinburgh award
• Enhance your CV by improving personal skills such as communication, teamwork, confidence and organisation
• Potential to become part of Worcestershire FA Youth Council
• Opportunity to attend county and National camps
• The chance to apply for work experience/placements at Worcestershire FA
• You will be doing voluntary work in something you enjoy!

Who is the programme for?

Anyone aged between 12 and 24 who has an interest in getting involved in football leadership and volunteering. This can be in a range of environments such as at school, college or university attached to an FA Charter Standard Club or League or other organisation. Young Leaders can choose from a range of activities, from assisting with the coaching or running of a team, acting as the press officer for a junior league, developing a film to promote a new activity for young people to play, refereeing or being a Respect Ambassador to name but a few.

What are the benefits?

Through the programme, a young leader will gain valuable experience and develop skills that can be applied to all walks of life. Once in the programme, young leaders will be offered support to gain football related qualifications such as the Level 1 in coaching football or refereeing qualifications. Young Leaders can track their volunteer hours and gain FA certification at the following milestones;

10 Hours

25 Hours

50 Hours

75 Hours

100 Hours

125 Hours

150 Hours

175 Hours

200 Hours

Any young leader, who reaches more than 200 hours, can be nominated by their County FA for additional rewards.

What are the FA Football Futures Themes?

Students can choose to volunteer against any of the following themes, and be involved in as many as they wish!

1. Coaching and Working with Teams

Opportunities could include coaching or working with a team in a school, college, university, FA Charter Standard Club or The FA Club Links programme. This can be as small as assisting an experienced coach, to running one-off coaching sessions, to working with a team on a regular basis in training and also on a match days.

2. Refereeing

Refereeing games within school, college, university or club football on a voluntary basis. Young leaders can get involved in refereeing small–sided games, intra school football or chose to focus on 11v11 football and become part of the National Referee Development programme.

3. Running and Supporting Events

Assisting in the coordination and organisation of an event(s). It can be any kind of event from intra school football to regional/national tournaments.

4. Running and Developing the Game

Assisting in the running of an FA Charter Standard Club or League or an intra school league. This can involve supporting the fixtures secretary, taking minutes at committee meetings or writing development plans to increase participation.

5. Promoting the Game

Many young leaders will probably have already been involved in promoting the game through volunteering activities and not even have realised it! For example, creating a Facebook group for your club, team or league? That is part of promoting the game. Running a website? Writing match reports? Photography? The Promoting the Game strand of the FA Football Futures programme is designed to cater for these activities.

6. RESPECT Ambassador

Ensuring that all players have signed up to the Respect Codes of Conduct, putting up Respect barriers and ensuring that teams all understand the competition rules and regulations. This work to ensure that the club, league, school, college or university’s Respect practices are adhered to is rewarded through the programme.

What is the cost?

Nothing! The only cost is your voluntary time, which you may already be giving, but not receiving recognition and reward for!

To register for FREE...

click HERE!

For further information on the Football Futures programme please contact:

Jodie Williams

E: Jodie.williams@worcestershirefa.com

T: 01905 827137 ext. 215