Young Volunteer Wins National Award At Wembley Ceremony

Lleyton Canning, a coach at Morley Rangers has been awarded the Young Volunteer Of The Year at the England Football Grassroots Football Awards.

The Grassroots Football Awards celebrate the amazing volunteers across the country that make grassroots football a positive, inclusive and respectful place.

Lleyton was one of 12 winners from across the country at the award ceremony at Wembley Stadium ahead of the Community Shield.

Lleyton plays a vital role in coaching, officiating, and encouraging players. Supporting young players who’ve felt excluded, Lleyton helps them regain confidence through football. As well as being a talented coach, Lleyton is a relatable young role model who every player looks up to. His patience, positivity and ability to engage are making a huge difference in helping every player know they are valued and belong.

After initially being one of over 270 nominations for various categories in Devon, Lleyton was selected by an independent panel as Devon’s County winner for the Young Volunteer Of The Year and was recognised with this at the Devon Football Family Awards in June.

This made him eligible for the national accolade, and he was presented with the award by John Barnes on stage before the Community Shield on Sunday August 10th.  Lleyton was able to have an unforgettable experience, spending the afternoon with the FA’s social media team and enjoying pitchside access in front of thousands of fans at half-time.

The Devon County FA, the FA and Lleyton will be collaborating on a new project to help recruit new young volunteers into football.

Click here to find out how you can get into volunteering.