Positive approaches to projects, refereeing and encouragement at matches are being celebrated as the winners of the FA and McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards for Essex have been named, thanking ten winners for their coach, club and volunteer excellence.

Various Essex champions are being congratulated for their dedicated service and ongoing work to make the local game a fun and enjoyable environment for all. For more than ten years, the awards have recognised and celebrated leagues, clubs, coaches, players, match officials and volunteers who go over and above when it comes to football in their local community.

As always, the task of selecting winners was very difficult, with over 130 nominations submitted from Essex, and the heroes in the following ten categories are:

Grassroots Coach of the Year (Adult Teams): Yasmin Hussain (Frenford FC and the Muslimah Sports Association)

Grassroots Coach of the Year (Youth Teams): Ambar Hussain (St Clere’s YFC)

Grounds Team of the Year: Stuart Blake and Ray Sherrin (Buckhurst Hill FC)

Highly Commended: Jim Robinson (Dagenham United FC)

Grassroots Club of the Year: Great Bradfords FC

Grassroots Volunteer of the Year: Donald Glasson (Torquespeed YFC)

Highly Commended: Sheryl MacRae (Southend Borough & District Football Combination)

Rising Star of the Year Award: Dan Marriage (Brandon Groves YFC)

Highly Commended: Georgia Lockerbie (Stanway Rovers Girls FC)

Spirit of Grassroots Football: Simon Johns (Sands United Essex FC [now FC Vilomah])

Highly Commended: Mark Gordon (FC Redwing)

Grassroots Project of the Year: Mates FC

Highly Commended: Sands United Essex FC (now FC Vilomah), Lancaster Lions FC, Every Man Matters FC

Grassroots Match Official of the Year: Liam Spreadbury (Blackwater & Dengie Youth League and Essex & Suffolk Border League)

Highly Commended: Daniel Mann

Grassroots League of the Year: Southend Borough & District Football Combination

These winners will now be considered for a national version of their award by an FA panel. Lana Gillard, Essex County FA Football Development Officer, was keen to thank everyone involved in the process: “These awards go to show just how much dedication there is from grassroots football volunteers in our county.”

“It was so pleasing to achieve such a high number of nominations. I must show my appreciation to the panel who helped to select Essex's winners, which was a very difficult task, and say a huge thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination.”

To find out more about getting involved in grassroots Essex football, browse the 'Volunteers' menu above, follow @EssexCountyFA on Twitter and search for ‘EssexFootball’ on Facebook.