Wednesday 20th January 2021

Congratulations to Royal Wootton Bassett Town youth section coach Dan Carey and the entire Wildcats Girls' Football Centre team for being recognised in the 2020 Wiltshire FA and Charlton Baker Grassroots Football Excellence Awards!

Both were winners in the categories for which they were nominated with Daniel taking home the Progression Award and Royal Wootton Bassett Town claiming the Wildcats Centre of the Year prize.

With good news in short supply at the moment, it is fantastic to see our volunteers recognised for their efforts – and they are more than deserving winners of the awards they have received.

Dan Carey – Progression Award

An enthusiastic, young FA Level 1 qualified coach who has a bright future ahead of him, 19-year-old Dan originally began as a player within Bassett's youth section before taking up coaching in May 2019. He currently manages both Bassett's Under 14 Yellow and Under 13 Yellow sides (alongside his brother Josh), while he has also previously helped out at the club's Free Saturday Morning Skills Sessions.

And he was nominated for the Progression Award – which recognises individuals who are striving to be the best they can be – for his efforts. Identified for his dedication as a coach and his drive to improve the game in Wiltshire, Daniel was praised for creating a great environment for his teams to develop and for having a positive impact in supporting the club.

Wildcats Centre of the Year Award

Introduced in 2019, the club's Wildcats Girls Football Centre offers free weekly coaching to girls aged 5 to 12. And the sessions, overseen by the team of Sam Wood, Mark Ellis, Bryan Wood, Ellie O'Nions and Dan Badman have gone from strength to strength since their introduction, with around 20 girls regularly in attendance at the sessions on Saturday mornings.

An Under 9 Girls team has even been formed, which began playing in the Wiltshire County Women's and Girls League this season. The club is also planning to create an Under 12 Girls team from September to allow older attendees of the Wildcats sessions to remain with the club.

Bassett's Wildcats Centre was nominated for making significant strides to create a fun, social, safe, girls-only environment where youngsters can learn new skills, make friends and have fun. Praised for having passionate coaches, the Wildcats team was identified for consistently delivering well organised sessions with a fantastic atmosphere. The club are supporting the growth of the female game, making sure there are opportunities for all.

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In partnership with Charlton Baker Chartered Accountants, in 2020 the Wiltshire FA launched Grassroots Football Excellence Awards to acknowledge the football volunteers in Wiltshire.

Each year the FA and McDonalds launch awards to recognise the individuals across the nation that are contributing to the grassroots game. This year, Wiltshire FA and Charlton Baker have joined forces to introduce additional awards to recognise and thank more clubs, leagues, volunteers and projects that are making a difference to grassroots football in the county.

Nominations were made by members of the Wiltshire football community, with winners determined by a select judging panel.

Last modified on Wednesday 20th January 2021 at 17:13.