A Glasgow football coach who has trained more than 1,000 children in the city's East End has expanded his reach, after turning to Business Gateway for support developing his digital marketing.

Bradley Ruddick founded Football Focused 1-2-1 in January 2023, coaching young people at Stepford Football Centre. The business has seen significant uptake from locals and grown considerably over the past 3 years, with referrals and word of mouth playing a key role in attracting new participants. The business now has 10 self-employed coaches, the majority of which are from the local areas, all UEFA-licensed and delivering one-to-one sessions alongside specialised and weekly classes for children of all ages and abilities.

Ruddick also places significant importance on developing his team of coaches, most of whom are from the local area, giving them the chance to build their coaching skills and open up future career opportunities. Developing coaches from the East End is a priority for the business, giving young people the chance to learn from people who understand the community they live in. Recent growth has allowed Ruddick to bring two long-serving coaches on full-time.

As the business grew, Football Focused 1-2-1 partnered with East End Community Carers (EECC), supporting the charity's community work with weekly multi-sports sessions for children delivered through its network throughout the year.

The partnership also saw the business redevelop Queenslie Park into a brand new, full-size five-a-side astro pitch. Football Focused 1-2-1 has more recently started delivering movement classes for over-65s in the community, and now partners with seven local football clubs across the East End, helping train teams and develop their coaches.

Ruddick has invested significantly in developing the business, including a custom website, and turned to Business Gateway's Digital Expert Support grant to make his investment go further. Delivered by Glasgow City Council, the grant offers businesses up to three days of tailored one-to-one support across website development, digital marketing and social media, IT infrastructure, e-commerce and wider digital strategy. Ruddick used his three days to develop a digital marketing and social media strategy, helping the business reach more children and families and expand the team's impact in Glasgow.

He was supported by Business Gateway adviser Karen Fotheringham, who has supported with expert one-to-one support and guidance, advising on funding routes, including the Digital Expert Support grant, and signposting to wider support available through the local authority.

Bradley Ruddick, owner of Football Focused 1-2-1, said: "Football Focused 1-2-1 is more than coaching. It's about giving young people in the East End somewhere to build confidence, fitness and friendships that last well beyond the pitch.

“Karen's support has been invaluable in helping us grow. She's helped us think properly about our digital marketing and social media, and that's meant more families finding out about what we do and more opportunities to build the brand."

Karen Fotheringham, Business Gateway adviser, said: "Bradley and his team of coaches do brilliant work in the East End. What started as one-to-one coaching has grown into a business supporting more than 1,000 children, and the partnership with East End Community Carers shows the wider impact it's having on the community.

“Through the Digital Expert Support grant, we were able to give Bradley three days of tailored support to develop his marketing and social media strategy, helping him build on that momentum and reach more families across Glasgow."

To find out more about how Business Gateway can help your business, visit here.