Youth Leadership & Volunteering
Leading here and now
Young people under the age of 25 are the largest stakeholders when it comes to football participation across England (estimated at 70%).
The latest figures show that there are over 86,000 affiliated youth football teams in the game. However, alongside that young people are also supporting the ever-growing grassroots football volunteer network and paid workforce, with 12.5% of workforce roles in clubs filled by 14–24-year-olds. The health of grassroots football relies on its workforce and young people are already playing a significant role within that.
The benefits of developing young volunteers or a youth workforce are often framed in terms of an investment into the future, the next generation of leaders in the game. However, it is also important to recognise the role and influence young people are having on football here and now. We know that young people have the energy, skills and ideas to change football and the wider community for the better today. This is why youth voice and youth engagement is so important to us at Middlesex FA.
Interested in being a part of the football workforce?
Middlesex FA Youth Council
The Middlesex FA Youth Council is a group of 16-24-year-old young leaders passionate about making a difference in grassroots football within Middlesex.
The Youth Council work together to give young people a voice within football and to identify and deliver projects aimed at enhancing football participation across Middlesex. The aims of the group are drawn from Middlesex FA’s new strategy, and the team selected will work to have an impact on 3 focus areas:
1. High-quality introduction to football
2. Embrace all formats and engage all participants
3. Recruit, develop and support the workforce
The Youth Leadership and Volunteering Toolkit
The Youth Leadership and Volunteering Toolkit has been designed to help anyone involved in football to understand the power of engaging young people, how best to go about it, how to overcome the perceived barriers and how to learn from the success stories of those who are doing it well. If you are a young person, you will learn the significant benefits you can get from your involvement in football and the opportunities available to you. If you are an adult, the toolkit provides top tips on where and how you might start developing your youth engagement, shared by those who have already delivered meaningful benefits.
FA Youth Leadership and Volunteering Community
The FA Youth Leadership and Volunteering community has been created for everyone, whether you are a young person looking for more opportunities in the game or you’re an adult wanting to support the development of young people in your football environment. The Youth Leadership and Volunteering community is a place to find new opportunities, ask questions and learn about the experiences of different youth leaders in football across the country.
FA National Youth Council
The FA National Youth Council has existed since January 2012. The team is made up of 15 youth leaders in various roles within football to ensure that all young people have meaningful and inclusive opportunities to develop themselves and positively influence the football community.
The FANYC has representation on the FA Council and various sub-committees including Youth Participation, Football Development and the FA Inclusion Advisory Board.
Follow the FA National Youth Council on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Applications to join the team go live every June.
FA Leadership Academy
The FA Leadership Academy (FALA) is a 12-month learning and development programme for 60 young people aged 16-24. The programme starts with an inspiring four-day residential (all accommodation and food is provided free of charge) including workshops and activities centred around personal development and leadership.
Following this, youth leaders complete reflective tasks and are supported by The FA National Youth Council and their mentors to deliver a project within their local football community which positively impacts the game. This is all with the aim to aid the development of young people to unlock their potential and positively impact the football community.
Applications for FALA open in April and are shared on FA National Youth Council social media channels.