An Ayrshire College student has been honoured with a top award by the Scottish Football Association. 

Kilmarnock man Ryley Gallagher, 22, was recognised by the SFA as the Best Young Volunteer at their annual South West Grassroots Awards.

Ryley is currently on the HNC Sport Coaching and Development course after completing an NC in Advanced Sport and Fitness last year.

He won the award after a year as part of the SFA’s Volunteer Inspire Programme, where he obtained his ‘Intro to Coaching’ and ‘Children’s Coaching Certificate’ qualifications in the Children’s Pathway.

He has worked as a Lead Coach at Ayrshire College’s Connecting Communities Summer Programme, where he planned and delivered free coaching sessions to children from different backgrounds, while also coordinating and providing feedback to the assistant coaches.

He has also volunteered with Stewarton Annick FC 2012s and the 2012s team in Kilmarnock FC Pro Youth Academy, while playing an integral coaching role at the Kris Boyd Football Centre’s weekly sessions at Ayrshire College’s Kilmarnock Campus.

Boyd said: “Ryley is exceptional working with the kids. He has a sound knowledge of the content of his sessions and gives valuable coaching points, but more importantly he has created a fun environment where the kids really enjoy doing what they do.

"Ryley is a great example of a young person who cares about what he is doing, and it is clear the difference he is making to these kids. He is an inspirational role model who others should follow.”

Johnny Sinclair, Sport and Fitness lecturer at Ayrshire College, said: “Ryley has become an invaluable asset for his local community, and a wonderful ambassador for Ayrshire College.

"Ryley’s drive to make a difference, not only to himself, but to the many community partners that he supports, led to him being awarded with a Saltire Volunteering Award for 320 hours of volunteering last academic year.   

“The Kris Boyd Football Centre has been an excellent platform for Ryley to flourish and develop into a fantastic coach. He is meticulous when planning sessions, and often uses the resources from his SFA Live account.

“Ryley is well deserving of this award due to his hard work ethic, humility, and his unequivocal determination to become a top-class football coach.”