Quality Training & Skills Development Ltd (QTSD) is offering non-league football clubs the opportunity to give their stewards / volunteers a nationally recognised qualification for FREE!
QTSD were formed with Non-League clubs in mind - whilst companies always rush to provide services to the Premier League and Football League clubs often the clubs at grassroots level get overlooked.
Chris Baker (Director - Safety Advisor) a resident of Seaford began his Safety Officer career in the non-league game with Kent clubs Maidstone United, Sittingbourne and Gravesend and Northfleet; before rising through the leagues with Southend United, Leyton Orient and eventually onto Brighton & Hove Albion and the Olympic Stadium where he was in overall control of the five Rugby World Cup matches held in Stratford including the bronze medal final between South Africa and Argentina.
Having worked at all levels Chris and his fellow Directors, all of who have extensive experience in crowd safety management and training, felt it was about time those at the lower level of the football pyramid were offered the same opportunities as their professional counterparts.
As a result QTSD was formed, with many of the Brighton & Hove Albion training team, and the company has secured funding to provide Level 2 crowd safety qualifications to Clubs across Sussex at all levels.
If you have stewards or volunteer stewards at your club, then QTSD would like to offer you the opportunity to give them a nationally recognised qualification, and all you have to provide is a room for training to take place and refreshment to keep them going. No catch and more importantly no cost as QTSD has secured full funding.
If your club doesn’t have access to a suitable room then the Sussex County FA can accommodate at their fantastic headquarters in Lancing, or additionally Crawley Town or Whitehawk can be used. QTSD could even help with a recruitment evening for your club if you need staff.
Club staff will get the opportunity to spend a day at a Football League club, to see how the stewarding operations work there, and will receive ongoing support with the option in the future to take higher level qualifications, should they want to progress further.
In addition, any club that signs up for the free staff training will automatically be assigned a Football League qualified Safety Officer, who would be available to assist in the event that the club needs help or advice on safety related matters. Their telephone number would be available at all times to give support as required.
QTSD know clubs cannot afford to employ expensive safety consultants so they offer a menu of safety services at sensible costs with no hidden add-ons. So if your club get that FA Cup run that sees you make it into Round 1 and you need assistance preparing and running the biggest game in your clubs history, QTSD can provide all the support you need.
QTSD have previously assisted Hastings United, Whitehawk and Bognor Regis Town in recent FA Cup and Trophy ties, taking away the headache of dealing with local authorities, the police and in some cases television companies. Lewes and Whitehawk have also utilised QTSD’s expertise for safety advice and have signed up for the steward training.
From Safety Audits of your stadium to writing contingency plans and risk assessments, QTSD can help you ensure that the local authorities and emergency services are satisfied that your club takes safety seriously.
QTSD are passionate about non-league football and want to ensure Sussex is seen as being at the forefront of operational excellence at every level, so clubs are encouraged to make contact.
Chris Baker, Director at QTSD said: “We want to become a partner to all of our clubs with on-going support and not just a company who you see once and never again. We are Sussex people and want to give something back to the industry and the county that has given us so much. Good luck for the season ahead and we look forward to hearing from you.”