WESTBURY Youth Football Club has secured funding to improve its coaching programme.

The club has been handed £3,000 by Westbury Area Board which it will use to send its coaches on more advanced courses, allowing them to develop their expertise and deliver a higher standard of coaching.

There are currently 28 coaches for the youth team who coach 18 teams from U7 to U16, consisting around 300 young players.

Westbury Youth chairman, Greg Coulson, said: “Level 1 is the basic level of coaching standard but we want to get more of our coaches up to Level 2 and eventually Level 3 standard.

“The Level 3 course costs £500 which is why we asked the board for a grant and thankfully they obliged.

“We’re going to encourage as many of our coaches to take the courses so they can deliver a better product and the kids can then in turn develop as footballers, with the aim of getting them into our adult team when they leave the youth set-up.

“The Football Association doesn’t just teach coaches how to become better at coaching, it also puts a strong emphasis on improving young people’s behaviour and encourages them to socialise more, known as the four corner model.

“Instead of just spending hours kicking a football, there’s a social aspect to the sessions; ensuring everyone talks to each other and shakes hands.

“This means the community will be enhanced as a result of better coaching, not just the standard of football.”

Currently 18 of the club's coaches are Level 1 standard and four are Level 2, but the club aims to have 25 Level 1 coaches, six Level 2 coaches and two Level 3 coaches.

By investing this amount in its coaching programme, it will enable the club to become a Charter Standard Community Club, the most advanced level of club development and football provision available in England.

The funding will not be given to the club until April.