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Dunfermline grassroots hero, Martin Kennedy, from Dalgety Bay, has been named winner of the East Region Scottish FA Volunteer of the Year in Girls and Women’s Football category as part of the 2013 Scottish FA Grassroots Awards.

Now in their 10th year, the awards recognise and celebrate the young players, coaches and volunteers in the six Scottish FA Regions, who dedicate their time to grassroots football in their local community.

Martin has been involved with Bayside FC since 1999, originally coaching the club’s boy squads before helping to set up Bayside FC’s first girls side.

Bayside now have an under-9s, under-11s and an under-13s girls teams, each with their own team coaches and secretaries thanks to Martin’s investment in the female side of the game.

Martin also spends his free time visiting local primary and secondary schools delivering girls training sessions to players who normally wouldn’t have access to football.

It’s not just on the pitch that Martin has looked to expand girls involvement in the game; he has also arranged for players to represent Bayside FC as player escorts for the recent Scotland v Wales match at Tynecastle.

He has also arranged for them to play on the pitch during half-time of a women’s UEFA Champions League game and organised a trip for them to watch the women’s football at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

As winner of the award in East Scotland, Martin is now in with the chance of winning the national accolade selected by a judging panel of Scottish FA representatives.

The National Awards will be presented to winners at a prestigious ceremony attended by legends of the game, including McDonald’s Head of Scottish Football Kenny Dalglish, held at Hampden Park on September 26th.

McDonald’s Head of Scottish Football, Kenny Dalglish, said: “The Scottish FA and McDonald’s Grassroots Awards recognise the selfless efforts of grassroots football volunteers, who dedicate their free time to supporting the game in their community.

"Volunteers like Martin help to develop a young players’ love of the game and are integral in keeping the grassroots game alive – these awards are a way of sharing their stories and thanking them for their dedication and I wish them the best of luck at the national awards in September.”

Other winners from the East Region include:

• Volunteer of the Year in Youth Football – George Ferguson
• Volunteer of the Year in Schools Football – Grenville Dawson
• Volunteer of the Year in Adult Football – Steve McSweggan
• Volunteer of the Year in Disability Football – John Buchanan
• Volunteer of the Year in Girls’/Women's Football – Martin Kennedy