Carshalton Athletic has been awarded Charter Standard Community Club status from The Football Association.

Charter Standard Community Club status is the highest status possible for grassroots football clubs to achieve under the FA Charter Standard scheme, and club chairman Frank Thompson and owner Paul Dipre have been working towards this for the past few years.

The first step was completed last summer when the youth section was awarded the Basic Charter Standard Award under the guidance of youth director Paul Williams.

Community club status is the pinnacle of the club development pathway that identifies those clubs that possess a high quality, multi-team set up with excellent social, training and playing opportunities for all.

As such, the number of community clubs is one of the truest measures of success for The FA Football Development strategy.

“We are delighted to receive this prestigious accolade and it is testament to the commitment of the club owner and board of directors, whose focus has always been to develop and improve all aspects of the club,” said Carshalton Athletic chairman Frank Thompson.

“There was much that needed to change when Paul Dipre took over and, while it’s been a slow and often painful process, this award serves to highlight the progress made towards the ultimate goal of rebuilding the club and cementing it as an integral part of the local community.”

Carshalton Athletic is now one of the largest community club set-ups in the country, currently providing an excellent environment and opportunity to 33 boys and girls teams to play football.

It also has two ladies and four men’s teams competing at a high level, as well as two male youth academies and a new female youth academy starting in September.

“This is a great achievement for the club and my thanks go to everyone at Colston Avenue who made a contribution,” said Carshalton owner Paul Dipre.

“Frank Thompson and Paul Williams have especially put in a great deal to this project.”

Chairman of the Ryman League Alan Turvey added: “As a representative of the Ryman Premier Division, we are delighted that Carshalton Athletic has won this award.

"It has an excellent youth scheme in place there and the club fully deserves its recognition.”

There will be a special presentation of the Community Club Award at Carshalton Athletic’s Colston Avenue on a date yet to be confirmed. For more information on Charter Standard Community Club Awards visit thefa.com/GrassrootsNew/CharterStandard/Club/