Who’s the financial wizard at your grassroots football club who keeps control of the pennies so the pounds look after themselves? Our #CelebrateEssex Twitter contest has progressed to the ‘Treasurer’ category, with nominations required by Friday 16th April.

The monthly competition, organised via the @EssexCountyFA account, recognises the unpaid efforts of the grassroots game’s volunteer legends. Once nominations close, #CelebrateEssex will reach the voting stage on Twitter to identify the latest winner.

#CelebrateEssex recognition shines a light on some of local football’s unsung heroes. It showcases personal stories from Essex personalities, increasing their visibility as role models to engage new members and inspiring newcomers to join the grassroots community as volunteers.

April is the month of the ‘Treasurer’ category. 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. Football needs more helpers, but it also needs to retain and recognise those already involved. Through this regular Twitter activity, #CelebrateEssex aims to do just that, promoting ten different roles throughout the year.

May and June will feature the Secretary and Chairperson categories. 2020’s Treasurer winner was Rayleigh Town FC’s Gary Brooks, who said: “If you have a passion for football, and want to see change within your club, get involved. To make a difference you have to be willing to roll your sleeves up and be part of it as change happens from within. My hat goes off to anyone willing to muck in.”

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 16th April):

“I nominate [Insert Name or Twitter Username] from [Insert Club/Team or Twitter Username] as @EssexCountyFA #CelebrateEssex Treasurer 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 individuals 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’!

Follow the #CelebrateEssex hashtag on Twitter to keep track of the nominations! 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

* previous category winners are ineligible for 2020/21 voting
* irregular voting patterns could result in the suspension of a category
* Twitter’s interpretation of the vote winner, as viewed by @EssexCountyFA, is final