Long-time volunteer Barbara Short recently received the Scottish Youth FA Merit Award 2009/2010 for services to grassroots football here in the Central Region.
The award was presented by Raymond Kelly, President of the SYFA, at the association's AGM on Saturday 19th June 2010 at the home of Aidrie Football Club.
Barbara has been involved in grassroots football for the last nine years and has been dedicated in her various roles, firstly with the West Dunbartonshire Soccer Sevens Development League as Vice Chairperson, Secretary and Child Protection Officer, and most recently with the Dunbartonshire Football Development League as Child Protection Officer.
Barbara has been an integral part of the development of grassroots football in Dunbartonshire and has championed the cause of fair play, sportsmanship and coach education over the years. She has also assisted in completing over 3000 disclosure scotland checks on personnel involved in football and has also sat in the SYFA's Player Protection hearings.
As a key volunteer in the DFDL, she was also selected to go to Finland as part of the Scottish FA's fact finding mission on club and league development in 2007.
All this has been done while studying, training and now qualifying as a nurse.
Barbara will be stepping down from her duties involving the DFDL at the end of the season.