The FA National Youth Council (FANYC) was founded in January 2012 and is made up of 15 youth leaders between the ages of 16-24. The teamwork towards their vision in ensuring that all young people have meaningful and inclusive opportunities to develop themselves and positively influence the football community.

The FA National Youth Council believes that young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow, they possess the energy, skills and ideas to change football and the wider community for the better today. No decision about young people should be made without young people. The FA National Youth Council have representation on the FA Council and various sub-committees including Youth Participation, Football Development and the FA Inclusion Advisory Group, meaning that youth voice is represented across the national game.

The FA National Youth Council deliver various educational programmes throughout the year, to upskill the youth leader network across the country. This includes FA Leadership Academy, a 12-month Learning and Development programme kicked off by a four-day residential hosted in July.

There are various entry points into the FA youth leadership pyramid. The FA National Youth Council is supported by the FA Regional Youth Network (FARYN) who are the extended arm of the FANYC. Members of the Regional Youth Network hold various leadership positions across the country in football and support the National Youth Council to deliver their visions and aims. There are 39 County FA Youth Councils currently in England and various football club & league youth committees across the country. The FA National Youth Council also supports and encourages the set-up of youth leadership programmes within a number of partner organisations.

In conclusion, youth councils are vital to ensuring that the voices of children and young people are represented in governance and decision making. Directly engaging with young people enables positive and meaningful participation, to ensure policies are relevant and meet the needs of the user, as well as creating an environment that ensures the sustainability of the future professional workforce.

I’d encourage you to think about your own football environment, if you are a youth leader, what can you do to increase youth voice in your community? As an adult partner, what positions and responsibilities can young people take on and how can you create a supportive environment to nurture their enthusiasm and drive?

For more information and to get up to date with all the FANYC’s activity please follow @thefa_nyc on Instagram, Twitter and now Tiktok!