FOOTBALL: Essex County Football Association development manager Brendan Walshe has been joined by Thurrock Council and the Thurrock Association Sunday League in looking for an enthusiastic individual to “make a difference” to participation levels in the area after revealing details of a brand new ‘GetIntoFootball’ Officer vacancy.

The search is on for a driven and knowledgeable candidate to fill the post, divided between the Council and County FA Offices, which links into the Growth & Retention section of The Football Association’s 2008-12 Strategy. Interviews will take place on Wednesday 20th October and all applications are required to arrive at The County Office by Monday 11th October.

Growing the game at the 16+ age group will be crucial and the new employee will develop programmes to cultivate both 11v11 and small-sided open age football for both genders. They will map teams and leagues and develop gaps in provision, providing flexible formats of the sport to meet customer needs whilst supporting programmes with colleges and universities.

Raising standards and improving behaviour will also be key responsibilities, supporting The FA’s Charter Standard and Respect Programmes. There will additionally be tasks set within the recruitment, retention and development of volunteers, maximising the potential and use of existing facilities and raising the profile of football participation opportunities.

Thurrock was selected to benefit from this new post for various reasons, including the network of clubs situated in the area and strong partnership support from the Council and the League, who are both key partners in supporting the project. The main aim is to encourage more people aged 16 and over to play football then carry that on into adult competition.

The successful applicant will ideally be of graduate calibre with experience of developing sport and have the ability to work strategically as part of a team and with partner organisations to deliver programmes and courses. There will be a certain amount of goal-setting involved and excellent communication and presentation skills are a requirement as well as a sufficient competence in monitoring and evaluation and the demonstration of equality in action.

Essex County FA Development Manager, Brendan Walshe, explained: “This really is an exciting position that will be specifically looking at developing participation in Thurrock over the next three years, so we’re expecting a large number of applications. The successful candidate will need to have a good knowledge of grassroots football, particularly the factors that can affect 16-plus participation. I’m looking forward to seeing applicants come forward who have the specific drive, determination and enthusiasm to make a difference to football in Thurrock.”

For further information about the role please phone (01245) 393075 or examine further details online at www.essexfa.com. To apply, send a CV and a covering letter with details of your current salary marked ‘Private and Confidential’ to: The County Development Manager, Essex County FA, Springfield Lyons Approach, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 5LB or E-Mail them to brendan.walshe@essexfa.com. The Essex County FA is committed to equality of opportunity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.