On Wednesday 12 June volunteers representing 16 Competitions across Berks & Bucks joined members of the County FA and The FA at the home of Wycombe Wanderers FC for a day-long conference themed around “Progressing the Game’s Governance.”

The Conference brought together experts and representatives from both The Football Association and Berks & Bucks FA to discuss and deliver sessions on best practices in organisational governance, including recruiting and retaining volunteers and the importance of diversity in decision making. 

It was a full day, packed with fascinating discussions and advice on key topics facing Leagues. The full agenda was as follows:

Key Principals of Good Governance
- Alastair Kay, Head of Governance, Berks & Bucks FA

League Finances: Planning and Reporting
- Lee Dyson, CFA Support Services Manager (Finance and Partnerships), The FA

League Development
- Nathan Batchelor, National Grassroots Leagues Services Manager, The FA

Panel Discussion: Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers
- Jonathan Wood, Head of Delivery, Berks & Bucks FA and Nathan Batchelor, National Grassroots Leagues Services Manager, The FA

Diversity & Inclusion Action Plans (DIAPs)
- Anwar Uddin, Grassroots Diversity and Inclusion Manager, The FA

Panel Discussion: The Importance of Diversity in Decision Making
- Liz Verrall, Chief Executive Officer, Berks & Bucks FA and Anwar Uddin, Grassroots Diversity and Inclusion Manager, The FA

We also hosted stalls from partner organisations and suppliers who were on hand to provide information about the products and services they offer.

Alastair Kay, Head of Governance at Berks & Bucks FA said: “It was a hugely enjoyable day with great levels of debate and engagement from everyone present. I am particularly grateful to the guest speakers for giving up their time to attend. We would not have access to such excellent speakers from The FA without the continued commitment and support of our Leagues, and we believe days like today help demonstrated our ongoing commitment and support for our member Leagues.”

Nathan Batchelor, National Leagues Services Manager at The FA, described the conference as: “A great event with great attendance from the passionate league officials who gave up a day to benefit their league. It was a really enjoyable event with a lot of areas covered around governance and development. The leagues shared a lot of ideas and solutions and, just as important, a lot of laughter. Well done to the team at Berks & Bucks for hosting the event.”

The conference also saw the launch of the Berks & Bucks FA League Governance Code, a first-of-its-kind standard for grassroots football Leagues designed to reinforce and strengthen the governance of our local Leagues, making them more sustainable and self-sufficient.

More information on the League Governance Code will be coming soon...

For more information about League Governance in grassroots football, please contact Head of Governance, Alastair Kay via email.