Wiltshire FA becomes first to achieve Code of Governance

They've been given a special plaque

Author: Jack DeeryPublished 27th Sep 2021

The Wiltshire Football Association has become the first county in England to achieve the FA's new Code of Governance.

The code was established last year and represents a 'Gold' standard of governance made up of 65 requirements.

The requirements within the code means each County FA can assess their current practices against the highest standard of corporate governance in football.

It means that the region is offering the best possible service to grassroots football and is considering gender diversity, ethnic diversity and youth representation.

All 50 CFAs have self-assessed against the Code and are committed to improving their governance, with Wiltshire FA becoming the first to be awarded with the County FA Code of Compliance logo.

They were awarded with a recognition plaque on Friday (24th September).

Oliver Selfe, CEO at Wiltshire FA said:

“Wiltshire FA is extremely proud to achieve the FA Code of Governance for County FAs. Whilst it has been a challenge, there is a clear benefit for the organisation and it has been a catalyst to unite our team behind a common goal. Effective governance is at the heart of successful organisations and the Code of Governance has certainly enabled Wiltshire FA to review our current practices, implement new processes and provide transparency and accountability to our members. One of the greatest impacts arising from Wiltshire FA achieving the Code of Governance is the recruitment of new independent directors, who have brought new skills and experience to the Board and have helped us to create a more diverse senior leadership team, which is more reflective of the communities we serve.”

James Kendall, The FA’s Director of Football Development said:

“As the national sport that millions of people play and support across the country, it’s vitally important that The FA and the County FAs serve and lead the game as effectively as possible. Through the Code of Governance for County FAs, we have strived to build upon the existing gold standard set by the Sport England Code of Governance. We have gone further to give County FAs a clear framework, setting out how they can enhance the levels of governance at county level and ultimately deliver an even better service to their communities. I’d like to congratulate Wiltshire FA in becoming the first to be fully compliant and look forward to seeing many other County FAs achieve this same standard as their ongoing work progresses.”

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