Stones retain top FA accreditation

The scheme, backed by England Football, recognises high-quality grassroots clubs and the vital role played by volunteers in both coaching and administrative roles.

The Stones are much more than the men’s and women’s first teams. The club is represented by more than 50 boys, girls, disability and walking football teams – providing opportunities for players aged five to 65+ to enjoy the beautiful game. Alongside this, the club delivers coaching sessions for children aged four upwards.

FA Accreditation is the football equivalent of an MOT. During the annual renewal, club staff and volunteers must ensure their coaching and administrative qualifications are up to date, and that the appropriate coaching structures and teams are in place for children and adults to progress in mainstream or disability football.

Lorraine Humm, the club’s accreditation officer, has spent recent weeks checking the qualifications of more than 100 staff and volunteers.

She said: “I am really proud that we’ve retained our 3-Star Accreditation for another year, one of only 15 clubs in Kent to do so. It’s a bit of a task to do all the checks, but fortunately we’ve got a good team running the various sections who keep tabs on qualifications throughout the year. That certainly makes my job easier.

“We also had support from the Kent FA’s accreditation team, who worked with us on ways to maintain the 3-Star rating and challenged us to go further with our development plan, which is something we will be working on during 2026.”

Club operations director Bob Gouldson added: “On behalf of everyone at the club, a huge thanks to Lorraine for coordinating our accreditation renewal. Thanks also to all of our volunteers – not only for what they do throughout the year, but for making sure their qualifications, such as first aid and safeguarding, are kept up to date.

“Having previously chaired our youth and community section and managed various youth teams, I know the hours that go into making it all happen. Much of it goes unseen and it’s often a thankless task, but the rewards are immense.

“The accreditation isn’t the end game. We know there’s work to do to strengthen some of our player pathways, particularly in girls’ football, and that will be a priority in the coming weeks and months.”

More information about the England Football Accredited scheme is available at www.englandfootball.com.