Steins Thistle is the latest club in Forth Valley to enhance their status under the Scottish FA Quality Mark - moving from Standard to Development Award level.
The club were presented with their Award at the Falkirk v St Mirren match on 16th May.
The Award, part of the Quality Mark Accreditation Scheme run by the Scottish FA in partnership with McDonald’s, recognises proactive clubs and schools working to increase youth and community participation.
There are three Quality Mark categories - Standard, Development, and Community. So far almost 100 clubs and schools have achieved accreditation over the three categories, and over 4,000 coaches have benefited from coach education and first aid training.
Steins Thistle was established in 1970 as a local works team and are currently based in Allandale on the west side of Falkirk. They operate teams at under 10s, 16s, 17s, 19s, 21s and amateurs, boasting a membership of 140 players, 25 qualified coaches and 12 committee members.
Graham Wright, Club Treasurer, said: “We are extremely pleased to achieve the second stage of the Quality Mark accreditation process. We hope that we can continue to enhance the club’s reputation by improving our coaching standards and attracting new members and coaches. This award is as a direct result of the sterling efforts of a small number of dedicated individuals within the club.”
Scottish FA and SportCentral Football Development Manager Alan Morgan added: “Today recognises the hard work that the club have put in and ensures that good standards are adhered to within the club. I look forward to working with them moving towards the Community Award.”
McDonald’s, official partner of the Scottish FA Quality Mark Accreditation Scheme, will invest £100,000 in the scheme over three years as part of its ongoing commitment to grassroots football in Scotland.
The Quality Mark scheme is supported by the Big Lottery Fund, which contributes to the employment of all Scottish FA club development staff, as well as discounted coach education and first aid courses for grassroots volunteers. The Big Lottery Fund is a key Scottish FA partner, contributing £6m to the delivery of the Scottish FA Youth Action Plan.
Anyone interested in joining the club should contact Graham Wright on 07725 768301 or Malcolm Warham on 07941 958727.
For further information on the Scottish FA Quality Mark Scheme, contact Alan Morgan on 01324 590720.