On Wednesday 3rd August, Cornwall FA were delighted to welcome the members of the new Cornwall FA Youth Leadership Academy to Cornwall FA HQ to set the scene for the newly reformed programme. 

Cornwall FA Youth Leadership Academy, previously termed Cornwall FA Youth Council, is a programme formed to provide an opportunity and voice for young people (aged 16 to 25) in Cornwall to influence the local footballing landscape. The programme aims to provide young people with developmental opportunities to help upskill their personal qualities for future employment through County FA led workshops as well as opportunities for the members to gain real-life experience on the ground working with local clubs, leagues and volunteers.  

The first meeting provided a fun and relaxed opportunity for the new members to get to know each other alongside gaining an insight into the future outlook of the Youth Leadership Academy and potential next steps. Leaders also had the opportunity to start putting together a plan of action to work towards achieving before meeting 2 later this year. 

George Roberts, Cornwall FA Football Development Officer (Youth and Adult Male) said, “we were delighted to see the new Youth Leadership Academy members attend the first meeting. The engagement throughout was brilliant and to see the shared ambition and vision the members hold to work towards improving football in their local areas is really exciting. 

For Cornwall FA, working with these young leaders provides a great opportunity to make a positive impact on the local football community through a strong emphasis on using feedback from young players, coaches and volunteers to help make meaningful changes. Additionally, we are equally excited to see the young leaders grow as we support their own personal development as they continue to pursue their own individual goals and career aspirations.

I would also like to thank Josh Stockdale (AOC Sport National Football Development Officer) as well as Vicky Fisher (FA Regional Coach Development Officer - Women and Girls) who supported the first meeting, bringing great energy, experience and guidance for the young leaders. This is something we hope we can continue to introduce through guest speakers featuring in future meetings to help add value to the members experience".

The Cornwall FA Youth Leadership Academy members are:

• Cailan Robertson
• Chloe Lloyd 
• Daniel Catacutan
• Gracie Davies
• Jack Masters
• Jaiden Berryman
• Jasmine Butcher
• Joshua Eyre
• Kiera Louise-Graham 
• Kyle Woodhouse 
• Olivia Sellars
• Oscar Bamsey
• Sam Brown
• Ollie Paterson