In consultation with the Sports Marketing Network, the FAW are offering its clubs Regional Workshops through the Grow Your Club project.

The workshop content is aimed to specifically help our clubs develop and implement some key initiatives which can really help them to become vibrant, visible and viable. Guides and workbooks which the clubs will then use in the follow-up after workshops will be produced.

In order to become successful and sustainable, grassroots football clubs must work for and with their communities, and as a consequence, both parties benefit. They are in reality Hubs for their Communities which share values and link up their assets, skills and relationships with people, groups and institutions in their communities.

The benefits of this approach can be considerable in terms of growing membership and volunteer base, increasing income and helping to ensure that the club and the community is sustainable in the long-term.

At the same time a few changes and actions can help the club to become a more fun and inspiring place for people to volunteer. Often there are a number of people within reach of the club who can make a contribution, if only the club were to become more welcoming, better structured and were to change the way it engages with people and organisations around it.

This workshop will provide you with literally dozens and dozens of proven ways how to make your club attractive to skilled and dedicated volunteers who can make a real difference and to become a hub for the community. This will also help you to develop initiatives which will help your club become viable and sustainable.

The presenter will draw from literally hundreds of best practice case studies from community-based, volunteer-run sports clubs from across most sports.

• How to manage a vibrant community sports club by developing your culture and skills.
• Developing strong community partnerships with education, community groups, health organisations and others.
• How to become well connected to your community - the Police, the schools, the Women's Institute, the Sea Cadets, the faith groups etc.? Do you know them and do they know you?
• How to best assess your potential for working with community partners - what are your assets, relationships and skills?
• How to identify your Community Connectors (people in official/unofficial roles within your community) - and how to work with them
• How to find the best ways to work together, benefitting both parties
• Attracting and retaining skilled and passionate volunteers by

1. Tidying up your club (both physically and mentally)
2. Talking to people
3. Touching their hearts
4. Convince their heads
5. Deciding which tasks you would like to be carried our
6. Making sure the right tools are available
7. Making people feel they are part of the team
8. Giving them training and support
9. Being open to new ideas
10. Saying thank you

How to use the community connections and volunteer contacts and skills to develop innovative and productive income generating activities.

At the workshops, representatives from the clubs will be introduced to the;

‘How engaging with your community and volunteers can help your club become viable and sustainable workbook.’

The dates are as follows;

Workshop 1 South Wales and Gwent (in Cardiff)

Monday 2nd July 2012 6:00pm – 9:00pm
FAW Headquarters, 11/12 Neptune Court. Cardiff. CF24 5PJ

Target Clubs: South Wales and Gwent clubs in the Welsh League or ambitious clubs in Area Association football.

Workshop 2 South Wales Womens Teams (in Port Talbot)

Tuesday 3rd July 2012 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Port Talbot Town FC, Victoria Road, Port Talbot. SA12 6AD

Target Clubs: Any Womens teams in South Wales / West Wales and Gwent

Workshop 3 West Wales (in Carmarthen)

Wednesday 4nd July 2012 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Carmarthen Town FC, Richmond Park, Heol y Prior, Carmarthen. SA31 1LR

Target Clubs: West Wales clubs in the Welsh League or ambitious clubs in Area Association football.

Workshop 4 North-East Wales (in Broughton)

Monday 9th July 2012 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Sports and Wings Club, Airbus UK Broughton. Chester Road. Broughton. CH4 0DR

Target Clubs: North-East Wales clubs in the Huws Gray Alliance, Welsh National Leagues or ambitious clubs in Area Association football.

Workshop 5 Mid & North Wales Womens Teams (in Oswestry)

Tuesday 10th July 2012 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Park Hall Stadium,
Target Clubs: Any Womens teams in Central Wales and North Wales

Workshop 6 North-Wales Coast (in Llandudno)

Wednesday 11th July 2012 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Llandudno Town FC. Maesdu Park; Builder Street West, Llandudno, LL30 1HH

Target Clubs: North Wales Coast clubs in the Huws Gray Alliance and Welsh Alliance or ambitious clubs in Area Association football.

Workshop 7 Central Wales (in Newtown)

Monday July 16th 2012 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Newtown Football Club. Latham Park, Park Lane, SY16 1EN

Target Clubs: Central Wales club in the Huws Gray Alliance, Spar Mid Wales League or ambitious clubs in Area Association football.