By Kelly Davies, Vi-ability. WCVA Funding Conference 2012.

1. Vi-Ability
National Award Winning Social Enterprise
Leonardo Lifelong Learning Programme
UK/10/LLP-LdV/IVT/163180
‘Work Based Football Training Programme’
Presented by: Kelly Davies (Managing Director)

2. 1. Introduction
 Kelly Davies (Ex Arsenal, Liverpool Ladies)
 Welsh International (38 caps at all levels)
 Loughborough University –
BSc Sports Science & Business
 Charlton Athletic Football Club –
Cape Town, South Africa
 Liverpool University –
MBA Football Industries
 Dissertation on the ‘Viability of a Commercial Dept for the FAW’
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3. 2. Vi-Ability
The Social Enterprise Vi-Ability was developed to:
 Help tackle the issues of financially unsustainable
football clubs, economic inactivity and youth disengagement
 Introducing individuals to the commercial management
of football clubs;
 Teaching them how to design, plan and run activities that help
raise money for the football club, and make a real difference
to community in which they are based.
 All of which help the individuals to develop employability
and life skills.
 The project would support the running of sporting organisations
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4. 3. Our Leonardo Project
Why we applied (2 main reasons):
 To further enhance the participants learning experience by introducing them
to best practice in European Football Club marketing, coaching, and
community practices & strategies.
 Improve the quality & volume of cooperation between Vi-Ability and leading
clubs in the European Union.
What we applied for:
 Two 2-week mobilities: Torino FC S.p.a (Turin, Italy) and FC Modo (Holmsund,
Sweden)
 Each involving 1 Football Industry professional (accompanying
person) and 15 NEET (16-25 years) participants.
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5. 3. Our Leonardo Project Continued…..
What The Main Aim Was:
 To create young ‘leaders’ who would take the new ideas, techniques and
lessons learnt from the clubs they visit, back to their own clubs, and
disseminate to other clubs within the football industry in the future.
What The Expected Outcomes Were:
 A better understanding of the process of marketing in football;
 Appreciation of best practice in key aspects of football coaching;
 Improved quality of football coaching on community programmes;
 A Greater understanding of European coaching, community, and commercial
management systems;
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6. 3. Our Leonardo Project Continued…..
 Enhanced links between Vi-Ability and colleagues in major football
clubs, and their network of feeder clubs within the European Union.
 Improved quality and attractiveness of the work based football training
programme by adopting and piloting European coaching, community
and commercial practices.
 Increased numbers of young people undertaking higher level coaching
qualifications to UEFA license level.
 Increased numbers of young people undertaking higher level business/
marketing qualifications
 Increased numbers of young people entering the labour market
 Increased numbers of young people learning foreign languages
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7. 4. How The Project Worked: Recruitment
Host Partners - Working Example: Torino FC S.p.a
 Preparatory Visit (June 2009)
 Scope Of Work (Youth/Adult teams: Community DP: FT Commercial DP:
Apprenticeship Scheme: On-site Learning Centre: Newly built training
centre)
 Areas Of Expertise (Leading Club: Youth policy best in Europe: Learning zone
model of best practice: profitable community DP: Ability to sweat assets)
 Expertise In The Field Of Work Covered By The Project (Experts in
marketing:
Developed a clear identity, image and customer proposition for Torino FC)
 Previous Projects/Collaboration (Tour operator experience: Member of staff
came through the system at Torino FC)
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8. 4. Recruitment Continued…..
Participants – Already selected based on enrolment onto WBTP.
 Marketing strategies were deployed to create awareness
E.g. Articles were written for partner organization newsletters & magazines;
Press releases were published in the local newspapers, and on the VI-
Ability, Colwyn Bay FITC, and Colwyn Bay FC websites; Presentations were
given in local high schools, youth clubs, and community centres.
 Referrals from other organisations taken
E.g. Employment agencies, Local Educational Authority, Skill Councils, Colleges,
Schools, Voluntary Services, Police, Youth Justice Service and Probation
Service.
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9. 5. How The Project Worked: Selection
Assessment:
 Informal Chat
 Carefully Designed Tasks
 Staff Observation
Selection Criteria:
 Assessment day attendance
 Personal Appearance
 Personal Qualities
 Development
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10. 6. How The Project Worked: Preparation
Pedagogical:
 Commencement of the Level 1 Football Coaching Award
 20 week work based training football training programme
Cultural and linguistic:
 Cultural and language ‘innovative’ training (2 months prior to placement)
 Provided with language dictionaries and laptops
 Final one day session (1 week prior to departure)
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11. 7. How The Project Worked: Placement
Content: (REFER TO EXAMPLE ITINERARY THAT WILL BE HANDED OUT)
 Work shadow their equivalents in the host clubs to gain a greater
understanding of their roles & responsibilities;
 Gain a European perspective on the needs of their sport and club through
discussions with staff members at all levels;
 Learn how to implement different marketing strategies & practices the host
clubs adopt;
 Deliver coaching sessions to gain practical experience;
 Study coaching sessions on aspects of the game relevant to their individual
particular needs
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12. 7. Placement Continued……
Content:
 Study coaching sessions on aspects of the game relevant to their individual
particular needs;
 Participate in coach education training sessions from experts in e.g. nutrition,
fitness;
 Observe & engage in community engagement activities;
 Undertake visits to youth teams and academies;
 Gain a basic understanding of a foreign language with specific emphasis on
technical and vocational specialist language.
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13. 8. How The Project Works: Monitoring
Monitoring during preparation:
 Attendance register
 Language Tutors to provide Vi-Ability with feedback on participants progress
Monitoring during visit:
 Breakfast meetings to outline the itinerary for the day i.e. departure times
 End of day meetings to share experiences & good practice with fellow
participants
 Accompanying person to receive daily feedback from host staff on
participants
progress
 Participants to complete log books and collect evidence of their work
 Daily blogs, facebook & twitter messages to be uploaded Europass
 Final day interviews with host staff
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14. 8. Monitoring Continued…..
Monitoring after the visit:
 Analysis of outcomes against action plans
 Participants are given feedback from FAW Trust Coach Educator on areas they
need to improve on to successfully pass the final assessment
 Evaluation process begins
 On completion of both mobilities, meeting with all participants to share good
practice
 Participants agree which lessons learnt they want to implement at their own
club, and develop an action plan of implementation, monitoring & evaluation.
 Track participants progress over 12 month period at quarterly intervals.
 Identify Host clubs plans for the future i.e. reciprocal visits, work based
training programme implementation
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15. 9. How The Project Works: Evaluation
Evaluation focused on key criteria:
 Performance of Partners
 Performance of Applicant Organisation
 Activities undertaken by the participants
 Participants satisfaction with the support, training and guidance received
 Expected outcomes
 HAND OUT – EXAMPLE OF AN ACTIVITY THE PARTICIPANTS ARE EXPECTED
TO COMPLETE ON RETURN OF PLACEMENT.
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16. 10. Results
 30 Participants went on placement (15 Italy: 15 Sweden)
 1 Participant with Celebral Palsy & 5 girls took part in the placements
 30 Participants successfully gained their Level 1 Coaching Award
 30 Participants completed a BTEC Award in Football Industries
 18 Participants secured full time employment within the football industry
 2 Participants were invited back to Torino FC to work during the summer on
residential camps
 Both Torino FC and FC Modo are in continued discussion to implement a
‘Vi-Ability’ work based football training programme
 1 Participant with Celebral Palsy has enrolled on a full-time Italian Language
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17. 11. How The Project Works: Dissemination
 Presentation of work undertaken during the visit by participants to UK
partners;
 Participants to plan, design and run a number of marketing, community and
coaching activities at their football club to promote the new ideas, techniques
& lessons learnt from the clubs they visited;
 Publish a project newsletter (online and offline), and dissiminate to the third
sector, sports & football industry;
 Write articies for UK partner publications i.e. website, newsletters, magazines
 Report findings at a local event – i.e. Partnership Forum established to tackle
unemployment in the local area;
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18. 11. Dissemination Continued….
 Send out press releases prior to, during, and after the exchanges;
 Vi-Ability to conduct workshops to help other football clubs to develop the
work based training football programe & mobility project
 Write a participation notebook/manual
 Set up Social Network accounts i.e. facebook & twitter, for staff and
participants to post their mobility experiences on – including photos and
videos
 Write and publish a final report, making available to UK partners, the third
sector and sports/football industry.
 Speak about the project & report results at a national seminar or conference
 Reciprocal visits to be planned with host partners
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19. 12. Summary
 Hugely successful project (Expected outcomes achieved)
 Benefited participants greatly:
- Created a sense of ‘achievement’ & ‘self-fulfillment’
- Raised aspirations and broaden horizons
- Helped them become independent, confident and motivated individuals
- Improved their well being
- Helped them acquire valuable personal and social skills such as self
discipline, teamwork and communication
- Assisted in the formation of social friendships, respect and trust.
 Benefited Vi-Ability greatly:
- Helped us achieve major awards (UK & Welsh Best Social Enterprise Start
Up Of The Year: Wales Most Inspirational Sports Individual Award)
- Raised awareness of the organisation in EU
- Increased credibility with funders
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20. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION!
“QUESTION & ANSWERS”
Contact details:
Kelly Davies
Managing Director
Email: kelly@vi-ability.org
Mob: 07725 576 997
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