fc darlington locomotives
success story
FC Darlington Locomotives are a family orientated, female only football club, with the aim to provide football for all, no matter what ability or background. Promoting female football and offering a positive environment for sporting development, in our local community, is at the heart of everything we do.
With support from the Expertise Programme, through Orangebox Training Solutions, the club was able to offer a Level 2 Community Activator Coach apprenticeship. This created opportunities for Tamasin Vincent from player to coach while maintaining her connection to the club that had been her sporting home for six seasons.
FC DARLINGTON LOCOMOTIVES
The challenge
& the solution
A dedicated club member who had been playing for FC Darlington Locomotives since the age of 9 was approaching a critical transition point. After completing Year 11, she aspired to become a sports coach and applied for an apprenticeship with an external company. Unfortunately, her application was unsuccessful, and the company went out of business. Without clear career pathways, she faced uncertainty about her professional future.
Recognising the potential in their long-standing club member, FC Darlington Locomotives decided to explore creating their own apprenticeship opportunity. The club partnered with Orangebox Training Solutions through their Expertise Programme to establish a structured apprenticeship that would benefit both the individual and the wider club community.
FC DARLINGTON LOCOMOTIVES
remarkably
successful
The apprenticeship has proven to be remarkably successful as Tamason now serves as a sports coach in local schools, managing breakfast clubs, after-school programmes, and holiday camps. Within FC Darlington Locomotives, she leads multiple programmes including the “Little Locals” sessions for the youngest players, the Development Centre for children aged 5-11, and the club’s 5K running program.
Tamason’s journey represents a remarkable personal transformation, from a shy, quiet girl into a confident and active young woman who has developed strong leadership qualities. Her growth in taking on roles and responsibilities has positioned her as a role model for her peers, demonstrating how appropriate support and opportunity can dramatically change a young person’s trajectory while also strengthening their place within the local community.
FC DARLINGTON LOCOMOTIVES
Future Vision,
Impact & Growth
The Expertise Programme has had far-reaching effects beyond just employment, providing crucial income that helps support Tamason’s family with whom she lives. She is now seen in a new light in the local community, with everyone knowing her name, while local holiday camps and schools speak highly of her, which has directly increased interest in club activities.
As stated by Nathan Beadle, “She wouldn’t have been employed if it wasn’t for the Expertise Programme, she would have no training as she wasn’t going to go to college.” The club sees this initial apprenticeship as just the beginning of a broader initiative, with future expansion to employ 2-3 more sports coach apprentices in the future, extending their reach into all schools throughout Darlington, and contributing to the growth of girls’ sport and physical activity across the town.
Nathan Beadle emphasises: “The expertise programme gave us that opportunity to help us grow in the sense of dabbling into this market and gaining us a year’s worth of experience and testimonials, being able to go and do it further.”
some of the clients behind our
success stories
