FOR this month's Hampshire FA Column we are focussing on the Hampshire FA Young Persons Forum will be hosting a Football Futures Conference at Peter Symonds College on Friday April 21.

The conference is the first event organised by the Hampshire FA Young Peoples Forum this season and will feature a host of workshops including refereeing, coaching, and confidence building delivered by professionals employed in football and sport.

FA Tutor Lisa Savage, the Hampshire FA Referee Youth Council, Richard Cheetham MBE from the University of Winchester will all be delivering a section of the conference which will run from 9am to 4pm at the college.

Football Futures is a rewards programme for young leaders aged 14 to 24 years, driven by The FA.

The programme aims to retain and train leaders with incentives and workshops across six key themes to increase employability and career prospects.

At Hampshire FA, we too are committed to ensuring that young leaders that commit their time to volunteering in football are rewarded for their efforts and contribution.

The rewards programme is available for students volunteering in school, college, university or alternatively your grassroots football team. Incentives are available to reward the young grassroots heroes who are making a difference to their community and to the future of the game, putting in hours of voluntary hours to ensure others can participate. Football Futures has been used to identify the most proactive young leaders in the county whilst these leaders are also encouraged to apply for the Hampshire FA’s Young Person’s Forum.

The Hampshire FA Young Persons Forum is focused on developing and supporting young people by empowering those aged 24 and under to shape football.

The forum has the responsibility to ensure that young people are able to voice their opinions and develop skills that are also transferable from sport in other areas.

Hampshire FA’s Young Persons Forum is made up of a series of roles including chairperson, vice-chairperson, project manager, finance officer, and more.

Dan Greenwood, Children and Young People Football Development Officer said: “The conference is a great opportunity for Hampshire’s young leaders to experience what can be achieved by young people when they collaborate and support each other.

"Everything at the conference has been organised by the Hampshire FA Young Person’s Forum and we hope that this will inspire others to follow their example and use their leadership skills to make a positive impact in their local community.

"Inspire, lead, progress is the mission statement of Football Futures and the Young Person’s Forum really are the personification of this.”

For more information email HFAYPF@gmail