This month’s Essex County FA #CelebrateEssex volunteer award is recognising the financial wizards who keep grassroots football ticking, with ‘Treasurer’ nominations required by Wednesday 15th April via the @EssexCountyFA Twitter account.

In this challenging financial climate, it’s as important as ever that we recognise the part treasurers play in ensuring the health of grassroots football clubs. The monthly competition recognises the unpaid efforts of local legends and, once nominations close, the contest will then reach the voting stage on Twitter between four finalists.

#CelebrateEssex showcases profiles of local football heroes, increasing their visibility as role models to engage new members and inspire them to join the grassroots community as volunteers. The County FA are inviting treasurer nominations before the deadline, when submissions will be assessed to decide who’ll feature in a poll to identify the latest winner.

Treasurers play a crucial role to ensure income exceeds, or at least matches, expenditure and that adequate records are kept. They help to cover essential expenditure which may, sometimes, involve fundraising activities, seeking sponsorship or applying for grants. Volunteer treasurers are literally worth their weight in gold.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of grassroots football, putting in countless hours of their time so others can enjoy playing. The game needs more helpers, but it also needs to retain and recognise those already involved. Through this monthly Twitter competition, #CelebrateEssex aims to do just that, promoting ten different roles throughout the year.

#CelebrateEssex captured the imagination of the community during 2018/19, resulting in media coverage plus thousands of Twitter interactions. 104 nominations were made, with 8,703 votes cast, and all nominees were publicly thanked. Future 2020 categories will feature: May: Secretary, June: Chairperson. Last year’s Treasurer winner was Jack Smith from Concord Rangers FC.

Stage One: Make Your Nomination on Twitter

If you know a Treasurer who you think should receive some special thanks, anyone can make a nomination by tweeting (by 15th April):

“I nominate [Insert Name or Twitter Username] from [Insert Club/Team or Twitter Username] as the @EssexCountyFA #CelebrateEssex Treasure winner because…”

State why your nominee should be the winner and be as descriptive as you can in 280 characters! It’s important to use the #CelebrateEssex hashtag to ensure your entry is registered.

Stage Two: Nominations Reviewed

Once the window closes, all the nominations received will be collated and a panel will decide which individual will be progressed to the Twitter poll/vote...

Stage Three: Let Voting Commence!

A Twitter poll/vote will be available at @EssexCountyFA for seven days, featuring profiles of the nominees so voters can make an informed decision on who to vote for.

Stage Four: And Our Winner Is…

The winner of the poll will be contacted to be that month’s ‘Volunteer of the Month’, who’ll receive a prize, publicity and an invitation to the Essex County FA’s 2020 Awards Evening.

Follow the #CelebrateEssex hashtag on Twitter to keep track of the competition! To find out more about volunteering in grassroots Essex football, browse the 'Volunteers' menu above, follow @EssexCountyFA on Twitter and search for ‘EssexFootball’ on Facebook.

#CelebrateEssex Terms and Conditions

* prizes must relate to the category the individual has won
* previous category winners are ineligible for 2019/20 nomination
* irregular voting patterns could result in the suspension of a category

Sport England Community Emergency Fund
Free Active Essex Webinars

A new fund has been created by Sport England aiming to help community sport and physical activity organisations who are experiencing short-term financial hardship or the ceasing of operations due to the ongoing Coronavirus crisis. Active Essex are running two webinars to provide advice and support on this funding process.

During the webinars, the Active Essex team will cover: what it will/will not fund; application guidance; which questions are being asked and how best to answer them; general top tips when applying for funding; additional support. Two of their three webinars remain on Wednesday 8th April (6:00-7:00pm) and Thursday 9th April (11:00am-12:00pm). To book, visit http://bit.ly/AEWebinar20.