It is now a year since Central Region launched its Student Volunteer programme.

Since that time over 15 courses have run, on both the Childrens and Youth pathway, across the region from Dumbarton to Falkirk and everywhere in between, with more than 200 volunteers attending courses.

The scheme is designed to help students get practical work experience and get started in coaching.  They can choose to do 15 or 30 hours voluntary work and this can be in with one of our Quality Mark clubs or with a football development officer, in one of the Scottish FA's community projects.

Marilyn Gray, from Motherwell, has recently got involved with Cumbernauld Colts, a Community Award holding club.  She has been involved with them since September, working with the U9 boys, under the guidance of their coaches.

Graham Wilson, the Coach Coordinator with the Colts said

" Its great that she has been integrated into the club at 2000's age group.  I was able to meet her when she started at the club and made sure she was placed with a team that suited her talents.  We hope these new enthusiastic volunteers will help the club remain a "Community Club" for years to come."

Out in Clackmannanshire, 2 of the first volunteers recruited have had remarkable success shadowing coaches in the Bank of Scotland Soccer 1 project in high schools and McDonalds programme in primary schools.  David Devlin and Christopher Stevenson have been able to complete levels 1,2 and 3 through the scheme and have since moved into paid work due to their commitment when volunteers.

Ian Ross the Coach and Player Development Officer for Central Region who oversees the Volunteering Scheme said

"We have had great success in getting Volunteers out into the Community.  Working with the Colleges and Universities in the region has led to over 200 students started on the player pathways and a great number of them are now in football projects and Quality Mark clubs, honing their coaching skills, helping the game to grow and hopefully bring through the next generation of Scotland internationalists"

If you are a student in Central Region, Forth Valley, East and West Dunbartonshire or North Lanarkshire, and would like to get involved in the Scheme please contact the Central Region office at:

central@scottishfa.co.uk 

or on

01786 467 165

with your name, and the course and college you attend.