We are delighted to announce that our external judging panel has chosen Alana Habergham-Rice as the County FA winner of the Young Volunteer of the Year Award as part of England Football’s Grassroots Football Awards.

This award recognises a volunteer under the age of 25, who is a role model to others and goes above and beyond to help make grassroots football enjoyable for everyone.
Alana, 16, started her coaching journey at Kiveton Park FC last year and has already made a huge impact at the club.

She was part of the team that developed a disability provision at the club to provide more football opportunities for disabled people. 

Alana also designed and delivered neurodiversity awareness training to coaches at the club, ensuring players who are neurodivergent are supported.

The former player, who has autism, got involved in coaching due to her own health conditions restricting her playing time.

She uses her own experience in the game to support other disabled players to overcome barriers. 

We caught up with Alana to present her with her deserved award at a recent disability football session at the club.

An estimated 1.4 million people dedicate their time to help provide football opportunities across England. Whether you are seeking to develop your skills, connect with your community, offer your professional expertise or ensure your child has a great experience, we thank you for your time and expertise.

If you want to follow in Alana’s footsteps and get into coaching, visit www.englandfootball.com/participate/volunteer

Click here for more information on the England Football Grassroots Awards