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Coaches trained in Premier Skills, which returns this week

The renowned Premier Skills initiative run by the Premier League and the British council returns to Cape Town this week as part of their three-year Premier Skills programme.

The programme, which started last Saturday and will conclude this Saturday, is taking place at the Ikamva home of Ajax Cape Town with intensive training for 60 grassroots coaches and 24 referees from all over the province. The training will be led by Graham Robinson, a Premier Skills head coach, with the support of Ben Gibson of Stoke City and Gary Walton of the Middlesbrough Foundation.

The coaches involved in the programme all have a Uefa-recognised qualification. They will be joined by Safa instructors to ensure that the graduates of the programme will be given Safa coaching and refereeing licences.

The programme uses soccer to develop a brighter future for young people around the world. The programme brings together Premier League’s proven expertise in delivering community-focused soccer projects with the British council’s on-the-ground presence and experience of developing and implementing cultural relations programmes worldwide. By providing expert training to young coaches and referees the programme offers skills development and a clear understanding of how to set up sustainable community projects at grassroots level using soccer to tackle issues such as health, disability, gender issues, social inclusion and education.

“We’re searching for community soccer superstars, leaders, inspirational coaches who can make a big difference at the heart of their community in the Western Cape. The Premier Skills programme is like a goal in extra-time: Just what you need, changes games, and sometimes changes lives,” says Colm McGivern, British council country director.

The current course is jointly organised by the British council, Premier League and Safa.

“Our longstanding partnership with the Premier Skills programme has allowed us further to achieve our goal of training 10 000 coaches per year across the country. Linking these coaches to our local structures and NGOs ensures that the skills learned are put to use in the best possible manner,” says Dr Robin Petersen, CEO of the Safa development agency.

The British council in South Africa works with Safa alongside six NGO partner organisations and local football associations: Grassroots Soccer, Oasis, Score, Arise Community Development Project, Ambassadors Football, Football Foundation and Ajax Cape Town Football Club.

The coaches in the programme train to become either community coaches or coach educators and are sourced through these organisations.

“Premier Skills has already had a massive impact in South Africa where we have run the programme since 2013. We have trained some hugely talented and passionate community coach educators and referees, who are now passing on their experience to a new cohort of men and women making their first steps into soccer coaching.

“This new first phase course to Premier Skills in South Africa will triple the size and impact of what we are doing in the country. Cape Town and the wider Western Cape have always been a significant focus for our work, and I am sure this next course will create a large number of new Safa-accredited coaches across the region, who will go on to make a major difference to the lives of young people around them,” says Tim Vine, Premier League director of international relations.

The renowned Premier Skills initiative run by the Premier League and the British council returns to Cape Town this week as part of their three-year Premier Skills ­programme.

The programme, which started last Saturday and will conclude this Saturday, is taking place at the Ikamva home of Ajax Cape Town with intensive training for 60 grassroots coaches and 24 referees from all over the province.

The training will be led by Graham Robinson, a Premier Skills head coach, with the support of Ben Gibson of Stoke City and Gary Walton of the Middlesbrough ­Foundation.

The coaches involved in the programme all have a Uefa-recognised qualification. They will be joined by Safa instructors to ensure that the graduates of the programme will be given Safa coaching and refereeing licences.

The programme uses soccer to develop a brighter future for young people around the world. The programme brings together Premier League’s proven expertise in delivering community-focused soccer projects with the British council’s on-the-ground presence and experience of developing and implementing cultural relations programmes worldwide.

By providing expert training to young coaches and referees the programme offers skills development and a clear understanding of how to set up sustainable community projects at grassroots level using soccer to tackle issues such as health, disability, gender issues, social inclusion and ­education.

“We’re searching for community soccer superstars, leaders, inspirational coaches who can make a big difference at the heart of their community in the Western Cape. The Premier Skills programme is like a goal in extra-time: Just what you need, changes games, and sometimes changes lives,” says Colm McGivern, British council country director.

The current course is jointly organised by the British council, Premier League and Safa.

“Our longstanding partnership with the Premier Skills programme has allowed us further to achieve our goal of training 10 000 coaches per year across the country. Linking these coaches to our local structures and NGOs ensures that the skills learned are put to use in the best possible manner,” says Dr Robin Petersen, CEO of the Safa development agency.

The British council in South Africa works with Safa alongside six NGO partner organisations and local football associations: Grassroots Soccer, Oasis, Score, Arise Community Development Project, Ambassadors Football, Football Foundation and Ajax Cape Town Football Club.

The coaches in the programme train to become either community coaches or coach educators and are sourced through these organisations.

“Premier Skills has already had a massive impact in South Africa where we have run the programme since 2013. We have trained some hugely talented and passionate community coach educators and referees, who are now passing on their experience to a new cohort of men and women making their first steps into soccer ­coaching.

“This new first phase course to Premier Skills in South Africa will triple the size and impact of what we are doing in the country. Cape Town and the wider Western Cape have always been a significant focus for our work, and I am sure this next course will create a large number of new Safa-accredited coaches across the region, who will go on to make a major difference to the lives of young people around them,” says Tim Vine, Premier League director of international relations.

The renowned Premier Skills initiative run by the Premier League and the British council returns to Cape Town this week as part of their three-year Premier Skills programme.

The programme, which started last Saturday and will conclude this Saturday, is taking place at the Ikamva home of Ajax Cape Town with intensive training for 60 grassroots coaches and 24 referees from all over the province. The programme uses soccer to develop a brighter future for young people around the world. The programme brings together Premier League’s proven expertise in delivering community-focused soccer projects with the British council’s on-the-ground presence and experience of developing and implementing cultural relations programmes worldwide. By providing expert training to young coaches and referees the programme offers skills development and a clear understanding of how to set up sustainable community projects at grassroots level using soccer to tackle issues such as health, disability, gender issues, social inclusion and education. “We’re searching for community soccer superstars, leaders, inspirational coaches who can make a big difference at the heart of their community in the Western Cape. The Premier Skills programme is like a goal in extra-time: Just what you need, changes games, and sometimes changes lives,” says Colm McGivern, British council country director.

The British council in South Africa works with Safa alongside six NGO partner organisations and local football associations: Grassroots Soccer, Oasis, Score, Arise Community Development Project, Ambassadors Football, Football Foundation and Ajax Cape Town Football Club. The coaches in the programme train to become either community coaches or coach educators and are sourced through these organisations.

The renowned Premier Skills initiative run by the Premier League and the British council returns to Cape Town this week as part of their three-year Premier Skills ­programme.

The programme, which started last Saturday and will conclude this Saturday, is taking place at the Ikamva home of Ajax Cape Town with intensive training for 60 grassroots coaches and 24 referees from all over the province.

The training will be led by Graham Robinson, a Premier Skills head coach, with the support of Ben Gibson of Stoke City and Gary Walton of the Middlesbrough ­Foundation.

The coaches involved in the programme all have a Uefa-recognised qualification. They will be joined by Safa instructors to ensure that the graduates of the programme will be given Safa coaching and refereeing licences.

The programme uses soccer to develop a brighter future for young people around the world. The programme brings together Premier League’s proven expertise in delivering community-focused soccer projects with the British council’s on-the-ground presence and experience of developing and implementing cultural relations programmes worldwide.

By providing expert training to young coaches and referees the programme offers skills development and a clear understanding of how to set up sustainable community projects at grassroots level using soccer to tackle issues such as health, disability, gender issues, social inclusion and ­education.

“We’re searching for community soccer superstars, leaders, inspirational coaches who can make a big difference at the heart of their community in the Western Cape. The Premier Skills programme is like a goal in extra-time: Just what you need, changes games, and sometimes changes lives,” says Colm McGivern, British council country ­director.

The current course is jointly organised by the British council, Premier League and ­Safa.

“Our longstanding partnership with the Premier Skills programme has allowed us further to achieve our goal of training 10 000 coaches per year across the country. Linking these coaches to our local structures and NGOs ensures that the skills learned are put to use in the best possible manner,” says Dr Robin Petersen, CEO of the Safa development agency.

The British council in South Africa works with Safa alongside six NGO partner organisations and local football associations: Grassroots Soccer, Oasis, Score, Arise Community Development Project, Ambassadors Football, Football Foundation and Ajax Cape Town Football Club.

The coaches in the programme train to become either community coaches or coach educators and are sourced through these ­organisations.

“Premier Skills has already had a massive impact in South Africa where we have run the programme since 2013. We have trained some hugely talented and passionate community coach educators and referees, who are now passing on their experience to a new cohort of men and women making their first steps into soccer ­coaching.

“This new first phase course to Premier Skills in South Africa will triple the size and impact of what we are doing in the country. Cape Town and the wider Western Cape have always been a significant focus for our work, and I am sure this next course will create a large number of new Safa-accredited coaches across the region, who will go on to make a major difference to the lives of young people around them,” says Tim Vine, Premier League director of international ­relations.

The renowned Premier Skills initiative run by the Premier League and the British council returns to Cape Town this week as part of their three-year Premier Skills ­programme.

The programme, which started last Saturday and will conclude this Saturday, is taking place at the Ikamva home of Ajax Cape Town with intensive training for 60 grassroots coaches and 24 referees from all over the province.

The training will be led by Graham Robinson, a Premier Skills head coach, with the support of Ben Gibson of Stoke City and Gary Walton of the Middlesbrough ­Foundation.

The coaches involved in the programme all have a Uefa-recognised qualification. They will be joined by Safa instructors to ensure that the graduates of the programme will be given Safa coaching and refereeing licences.

The programme uses soccer to develop a brighter future for young people around the world. The programme brings together Premier League’s proven expertise in delivering community-focused soccer projects with the British council’s on-the-ground presence and experience of developing and implementing cultural relations programmes worldwide.

By providing expert training to young coaches and referees the programme offers skills development and a clear understanding of how to set up sustainable community projects at grassroots level using soccer to tackle issues such as health, disability, gender issues, social inclusion and ­education.

“We’re searching for community soccer superstars, leaders, inspirational coaches who can make a big difference at the heart of their community in the Western Cape. The Premier Skills programme is like a goal in extra-time: Just what you need, changes games, and sometimes changes lives,” says Colm McGivern, British council country director.

The current course is jointly organised by the British council, Premier League and Safa.

“Our longstanding partnership with the Premier Skills programme has allowed us further to achieve our goal of training 10 000 coaches per year across the country. Linking these coaches to our local structures and NGOs ensures that the skills learned are put to use in the best possible manner,” says Dr Robin Petersen, CEO of the Safa development agency.

The British council in South Africa works with Safa alongside six NGO partner organisations and local football associations: Grassroots Soccer, Oasis, Score, Arise Community Development Project, Ambassadors Football, Football Foundation and Ajax Cape Town Football Club.

The coaches in the programme train to become either community coaches or coach educators and are sourced through these organisations.

“Premier Skills has already had a massive impact in South Africa where we have run the programme since 2013. We have trained some hugely talented and passionate community coach educators and referees, who are now passing on their experience to a new cohort of men and women making their first steps into soccer ­coaching.

“This new first phase course to Premier Skills in South Africa will triple the size and impact of what we are doing in the country. Cape Town and the wider Western Cape have always been a significant focus for our work, and I am sure this next course will create a large number of new Safa-accredited coaches across the region, who will go on to make a major difference to the lives of young people around them,” says Tim Vine, Premier League director of international relations.

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