Know a ‘Footie Mum’ worthy of a special shout out during March? We're highlighting the first category of our new #CelebrateEssex Twitter competition to recognise volunteers who make local grassroots football tick.

#CelebrateEssex, organised through our Twitter account at @EssexCountyFA, aims to promote inspirational personal examples and stories, encouraging new faces to get involved to grow the grassroots workforce. Nominations are required by Tuesday 6th March, after which nominees will be selected for a Twitter poll to identify the monthly winner who’ll receive a prize and extra public plaudits.

A ‘Footy Mum’ could be due a special mention for the support they offer their son or daughter before, during or after a game in any number of ways. They could help to make sure their ‘star player’ gets to training safely, enjoys participating in matches and is encouraged to do their best, providing encouragement afterwards… win, lose or draw.

Nominations for each month’s category winner will be collected, analysed and whittled down into candidates for a Twitter online poll/vote. This will last for seven days, after which a winner will be named and celebrated. A #CelebrateEssex web page will be created featuring the details of the project, a schedule of forthcoming votes and a listing of previous winners.

March is the launch of the #CelebrateEssex series, which will also feature: April: Supporter, May: Treasurer, June: Footie Dad, July: Chairperson, August: Manager, September: Secretary, October: Welfare Officer, November: Young Volunteer, December: Fundraiser, January: Groundsperson, February: Coach.

Stage One: Make Your Nomination on Twitter

If you know a Footie Mum who you think should receive some special thanks, anyone can make a nomination by tweeting (by 6th March):

“I nominate [Insert Name/Handle] as @EssexCountyFA #CelebrateEssex Footie Mum 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

On 7th March all the nominations received will be collated and a panel will decide which individuals will be progressed to the Twitter poll/vote...

Stage Three: Let Voting Commence!

A Twitter poll/vote will be available at @EssexCountyFA until 13th March, 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 plus promotional activities to celebrate their work.

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' category at the top of the page, follow @EssexCountyFA on Twitter and search for ‘EssexFootball’ on Facebook.