Birmingham County Football Association will be launching its first Female Coaching Mentor Scheme this Thursday, 5th September at Alexander Stadium, Perry Barr.
The scheme - one of the first in the country - offers women the chance to gain new or build on existing football coaching qualifications whilst benefiting from practical experience under the guidance of their very own mentor.
Anyone interested in getting involved with the scheme is invited to attend the launch at Alexander Stadium which starts at 6.30pm on Thursday.
"Football is now played by more girls and women in this country than any other sport," says Girls & Women's Football Development Officer, Laura Harvey. "That's mainly due to the increase in the opportunities to play."
"We are determined to offer women the same opportunities to coach football, which is why we are inviting anyone interested in joining our mentor scheme to get in touch - either by calling us or coming along on the night," she added.
"Role models are vital to youngsters if they are going to maintain and develop their football - if girls are being taught by women they can look up to and learn from, there's more chance that they will stay involved with the game."
Female-only Courses are already organised by the Birmingham County FA in a bid to remove any barriers that may prevent more women from developing their Coaching qualifications and enjoying the benefits and opportunities that arise from teaching the beautiful game.
"Although their confidence soon develops, some women feel a bit nervous about taking that first step to joining a course or taking a training session - that's where our courses and the Mentor Scheme can help!" added Laura.
If you would like to know more about the Female Coach Mentor Scheme contact Laura on 0121 682 2525 or come along to Alexander Stadium on Thursday night at 6.30pm.
Enjoy a Cuppa With the County FA!
18.9.02
Birmingham County Football Association is calling on locals to join them for a "half time cuppa" in aid of Macmillan Cancer Relief on Friday 27th September from 10.30am - 12 noon.
The BCFA is taking part in Macmillan's biggest annual fundraising event - the World's Biggest Coffee Morning. Why not join in the fun at County HQ, Ray Hall Lane, Great Barr, Birmingham? You can enjoy a cup of coffee and help support people living with cancer, along with an expected 1.5 million others all over the UK!
Last year 30,000 special coffee mornings all around the UK raised £3.2 million. This is the second time the County FA have joined in the event, with hopes of raising even more money this time around to help make a real difference in the community.
Along with tea and coffee you can also enter a prize draw and find out more about what Birmingham County FA does for the good of the grassroots game.
"All the staff at Birmingham County FA work throughout the year to ensure as many people as possible can enjoy playing or refereeing football at its grassroots level. This is our way of helping in a different way, so we hope people will join us and help raise money for people living with cancer," said County PR Officer, Antonia Lacey.
In the UK, four in ten people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. Money raised through Birmingham County FA's coffee morning will help Macmillan Cancer Relief raise funds for specialist Macmillan nurses and doctors who deliver the best in cancer care, build vitally needed treatment centres, give financial help to those who need it most and provide a range of cancer information both locally and nationally.
For further information about this coffee morning, please call Antonia on 0121 357 4278.
For general press information about Macmillan's World's Biggest Coffee Morning, please call Susan McGregor, Macmillan Cancer Relief Press Office, 0207 840 7809.