Chelsea FC Foundation Coaching Students Gain Insights into Community-Based Initiatives at Panel Conference

St Mary’s University, London recently hosted an insightful guest panel conference for students on the Chelsea Football Club Foundation Coaching and Development degree, featuring Chelsea FC Foundation staff.

The event gave St Mary’s students a fantastic opportunity to engage directly with industry professionals in football and gain practical insights that will help shape their approaches to community development and academic work.

During the conference, students learnt directly from experts about the processes involved in planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating successful initiatives.

This will allow students to use these insights to better understand what makes initiatives work in practice and how to overcome potential challenges, as well as gain knowledge on how existing initiatives have been adapted to meet community needs effectively.

Chelsea FC Foundation panel members included Charlotte Bowie (Senior Equality and Diversity Education Officer), Stefano D’Errico (Futures Manager), and Victor Odeyemi (Senior Schools Education Officer).

Becky Shubber-Barton (Lecturer in Football Development and Coaching) said, “This was a fantastic opportunity for our students to meet applied practitioners working in the industry. Engaging with professionals at this level is extremely beneficial for their development moving forward.

“Opportunities like this, where students can interact with and learn directly from industry experts, provide essential real-world insights that help bridge the gap between theory and practice. A huge thank you to our expert speakers, as well as Tom Sims (Project Officer) for your efforts in organising the staff for this event.”

Students on the Chelsea FC Foundation Coaching and Development degree added:

“Today I gained valuable insights from industry experts, which has improved my understanding within the daily operations and in the responsibilities of the foundation.”

“An insightful morning gaining deeper understanding around how football offers more than just science and exercise.”

“Listening to various members of the foundation staff has been very insightful, not just for now, but to help me gain further understanding about my future.”

The Chelsea Football Club Foundation Coaching and Development Degree allows students to develop an in-depth understanding of the football industry, with learning taking place at multiple locations, including St Mary’s University, Stamford Bridge, and the Chelsea FC Training Ground in Cobham.