Job Title - Football Development Officer Post 

Amount Requested: £15,000.00 

We are a local Youth Football Club based in Castle-Douglas providing structured coaching and competitive association football to over 200 children and young adults ranging from pre-school through to under 18 level. 

In 2017 with support from the SYFA and local businesses we established our current pitch at Birkland Park, Castle Douglas. This involved the installation of changing rooms and storage facilities, car parking and connection of utilities. The pitch is leased from Dumfries & Galloway Council and is securely fenced to provide a safe environment for the local community to use. Our current facilities are not able to support all of our needs throughout the year, the pitch is not floodlit so has limited availability during the winter and the single grass pitch is not able to support the number of teams we have wishing to carry out training because of wear on the playing surface. As a result during the winter period we supplement our own facilities by hiring the 3G pitch at Dalbeattie High School, this puts considerable strain on the clubs finances and also greatly increases the cost to parents with the additional travel involved during the winter months. It also has the potential to exclude some children from football where they do not have access to transport to and from training.

We also aim to ensure that each and every one of our services can be accessed by children from all backgrounds and that young people from under privileged backgrounds are given exactly the same opportunities as all other children and young people from our local area.

Our Football Development Officer Post will Co-ordinate bookings for all pitches and Games Hall for both club use and external users, promote spare capacity to local groups to maximise the use of the facilities, maintain four sport pitches and provide training to additional volunteers on grounds maintenance which will lead to improved qualifications and potential new job opportunities, promote and manage all appropriate training for coaching skills, first aid etc, support our Club in meeting its Aims & Objectives and develop all programmes and activities to ensure that children and young people from low-income households can attend all sessions.

Job Title- Project Co-ordinator and Bike Mechanic 

Amount Requested: £8,640.00 

Wheels of Fleet is a recycling, repair bicycle project, based in the grounds of the Mill on the Fleet in Gatehouse.

We have two paid self-employed workers, with 14 regular volunteers, and a waiting list of 3 wanting to come along, learn and help out.

Our aims are to make cycling more affordable to many, to offer bike confidence lessons, basic bike repair workshops to help make individuals’ bikes more sustainable and economical to run.To increase awareness of local journeys to work or interviews, using our local printed maps. Promoting cycling as a health activity to improve personal fitness and raise mental health awareness of these benefits. To increase a cycle community to help people meet others through this healthy activity.

We have created a very friendly, approachable project, which has given many the confidence to take up cycling again or indeed for the first time. We promote widely, costs are based on ability to pay or free, depending on individual circumstances, while also encouraging many to learn new skills in a safe and positive environment. Appointments can be made so privacy can be allowed for anyone who requires this.

To sustain a positive and close relationship with the local community, producing updates on events, workshops and availability of bikes. To coordinate between customers and the bike mechanic, using useful local knowledge and judgement of character to help run a smooth operation.

Our two new posts will complete all of the following: To promote a sustainable project with its main ethos of promoting cycling and staying true to always being affordable to many, coordinate volunteers, fulfilling their needs for learning and at the correct pace and energy that fits with each individual. To create a positive atmosphere for all involved ,with regular meetings, in a group, and with individuals, assuring all have a voice and are being heard.

To produce publicity on a regular basis, encouraging a network with other bicycle projects throughout the region.