KIRSTY Smith has been appointed as the first Inclusive Football Development Officer at Suffolk FA.

The 30-year-old’s role will be to support, develop and maintain inclusive football in Suffolk through working with different partners.

Although she was born in Doncaster, Kirsty was brought up in Lincolnshire and played football for Grimsby Town up to the age of 16.

She attended the National Women’s Football Centre in Durham for two years, combining playing while studying in sports development and coaching.

Kirsty then went to the University of Lincoln for three years, where she again studied sports development and coaching.

For the past five years she has been working at Havelock Academy secondary school and sixth form in Grimsby as a sports enrichment officer.

Kirsty (pictured above) said: “I will bring passion and enthusiasm to the role. Sport has been very good to me, so I hope to be able to give as many people the opportunity to play sport as I can through my job.

“I am looking forward to getting out in the county and meeting people and showing how we can push them on by creating opportunities for them to be involved.”

Suffolk FA Football Development Manager Jodie Allard said: “We are really pleased and excited to welcome Kirsty as the newest member of the Suffolk FA team.

“Kirsty’s role will aim to support and develop our inclusive football provision, by upskilling football’s workforce and creating environments which enable individuals from all areas of the community to positively engage with grassroots football in Suffolk.

“With a clear passion for the game, and practical experience in using sport as a tool to develop people, I am confident that Kirsty will have a real positive impact within the role and be able to inspire and further enhance the provision of high-quality inclusive football experiences across the county.”

Kirsty can be contacted by calling 01449 616606 and selecting the Football Development option (number 3) or email Kirsty.smith@suffolkfa.com