Local league to run pilot scheme for IFA initiative

With support from the Department of Culture Arts & Leisure (DCAL), the Irish FA has commenced a new Club Education Programme to support football clubs and volunteers.

The programme is being piloted by the Ballymena & Provincial League in March and will be rolled out to all interested clubs from April 2013.

The programme will be delivered through the leagues, where key people will be trained up to disseminate the training to volunteers at football clubs.

The focus will be on running a club, key roles and responsibilities, financial administration, affiliation & registration and record 
keeping/communication and will primarily target existing club secretaries, treasurers and chairpersons.

The training programme will be available for all strands of the Irish FA – including women’s, boys, disability and amateur football clubs. All clubs trained will receive the Club Education Pack to take back to their clubs and share with other volunteers.

Billy McIlroy from the Ballymena & Provincial League said: “This training programme is very timely and will help clubs to get the basics of club administration right – without good administration a football club will struggle to survive.”

The Club Education Programme will be a stepping stone for clubs who wish to attain Club Excellence Mark, the Irish FA’s own Club Mark scheme due to be launched over the summer. This will be available to senior as well as amateur, boys, women’s and 
disability clubs.

To find out more please contact: Club & Community Development Officer, Aongus O’Keeffe mobile: 07730 763850; email: [email protected]