FEMALE prisoners from Essex have been trained to become football coaches.

A group of criminals have been awarded a football coaching qualification courtesy of the Chelsea FC Foundation and the office for the Police and Crime Commissioner in Essex.

The scheme is part of their rehabilitation and was boosted by money from the PCC.

The programme took place at HMP Holloway and involved women from Colchester and Basildon.

Andrew Morgan, development manager for the Chelsea FC foundation, said: “The participants enrolled on the course did exceptionally well, given they were outside of their comfort zone.

"On the first day the majority of the candidates, who rarely or never had an interest in football were very nervous and reluctant to speak in front of a group.

"By the final day they had progressed to a stage where they delivered a 20-minute coaching sessions under assessment.

“Ten out of 12 prisoners passed the qualification, a fantastic achievement.”

Lindsay Whitehouse, the deputy PCC for Essex who used to work at Chelmsford Prison, said: “In my experience what prisoners are receptive to is practical learning outside of the traditional classroom environment.

"Using football coaching allows the women to develop a whole range of skills – such as organisation, relationship and team building, performance review – which are transferable to the workplace.

"Also for those that achieve the qualification, potential employers, looking at taking a chance on an ex-offender, will have the added attraction of the credibility that a qualification from Chelsea FC brings.”

It is hoped courses like these will help prevent the women from reoffending.

The office for the PCC sent £33,600 to the foundation.

The money was also used to deliver training in secondary schools, pupil referral units and football coaching sessions in Jaywick, Harwich and Walton-on the-Naze.