eu funding opportunities - looking beyond structural funds - the leonardo project

Vi-AbilityNational Award Winning Social Enterprise

Leonardo Lifelong Learning ProgrammeUK/10/LLP-LdV/IVT/163180

‘Work Based Football Training Programme’

Presented by: Kelly Davies (Managing Director)

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’

© Copy right of Vi-Ability Educational Programme

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


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.


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;


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

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)

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.

5. How The Project Worked: Selection


Assessment:

Informal Chat

Carefully Designed Tasks

Staff Observation

Selection Criteria:

Assessment day attendance

Personal Appearance

Personal Qualities

Development

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)

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

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.

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

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

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.

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 Course in College.

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;

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

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

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

“QUESTION & ANSWERS”

Contact details:

Kelly DaviesManaging Director

Email: [email protected]: 07725 576 997


mailto:[email protected]

eu funding opportunities - looking beyond structural funds - the leonardo project

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