The England Football and McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards are saying a huge thank you to the incredible volunteers who inspire us all, recognising and celebrating the people who put their heart and soul into the grassroots game across England.

The closing date for 2022 nominations is Monday 16th May, and it’s hoped that many submissions come from Essex. Each County FA will then select a winner for each of the categories from the nominations received. These will contribute to a shortlist for England Football’s national winners, awarded by a national judging panel. The awards are split into ten categories:

* Grassroots Coach of the Year for Youth
* Grassroots Coach of the Year for Adults
* Grassroots Club of the Year
* Grassroots League of the Year
* Grassroots Volunteer of the Year
* Rising Star of the Year
* Grassroots Grounds Team of the Year
* Grassroots Project of the Year
* Grassroots Match Official of the Year
* The Spirit of Grassroots Football Award

The winners will be people who can demonstrate how they make their positive impact happen. They behave with fairness and integrity, they create fun, safe and inclusive environments for everyone. They encourage the very best, both in themselves and in everybody around them. They have risen to overcome challenges and they make a truly positive impact in their community.

Essex County FA Chief Executive, Brendan Walshe, is keen to see as many local nominations as possible: “I’d encourage everyone in grassroots football to vote for someone who they think truly deserves an award. It would be great to see hundreds of nominations from Essex.”

“The England Football and McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards are an absolutely brilliant way to celebrate the selflessness of all those volunteers, clubs and leagues and the innumerable hours they put into supporting grassroots football.”

Make your nomination via this link. Information on local grassroots football is also shared by @EssexCountyFA on Twitter and by the ‘EssexFootball’ page on Facebook.