PCC and Chief Constable's 'She Inspires' football tournament scores top prize at FA Awards ceremony

MERSEYSIDE'S Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable's 'She Inspires' football tournament took the title at the 2022 County FA Recognition Awards, on Thursday, 3 November 2022. The Awards were held at Wembley Stadium, and recognised the best projects and services delivered by County FAs over the past 2 seasons.

A total of 235 submissions were entered from the 50 County FAs, highlighting continuous improvements, and showcasing how they are innovating to improve grassroots football to encourage new players and inspire existing ones. Merseyside's 'She Inspires Football Programme' won the Women and Girls Football Award.

Launched by the Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, and Chief Constable, Serena Kennedy, in March 2022, to mark International Women's Day, the bespoke football initiative was supported by a squad of partners, including LFC Foundation, Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership, Everton in the Community, Grassroots Football Clubs and Liverpool FA.

Aimed to increase the opportunities available for girls between 15 and 18 years, the She Inspires initiative offered 12 free weekly coaching sessions delivered by the Liverpool County FA, LFC Foundation and Everton in the Community giving more than 120 girls the opportunity to take part, culminating in an exciting finale in July.

As well as gaining skills on the pitch, all the girls were given the opportunity to complete a fully funded FA Referees Course and Introduction to Coaching Football.

Merseyside's Police Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, said:- "It's fantastic that our She Inspires tournament has been recognised with this brilliant award by the FA. The Chief Constable and I are united in our determination to provide better opportunities for young people across Merseyside to help them to reach their full potential, and it was a real privilege to see so many talented young women take part in this tournament over the summer. For She Inspires to be chosen as the winner from 50 submissions from across England in its 1st year is a huge achievement and is testament to the enthusiasm and passion of all the partners who worked so hard to pull it together. I'd like to thank everyone who made it such a success. I have no doubt this great programme will go on to even bigger things in the next few years."

Merseyside Police Chief, Serena Kennedy, said:- "Winning this award is a testament to the power of collaborative, partnership working and the passion of everyone involved. To be nominated in the 1st year of the scheme was fantastic; it showed us that we were offering the women and girls of our community a high quality initiative; but it feels wonderful to be able to offer them an award-winning opportunity. That's what our Merseyside communities deserve."

Anna Farrell, Football Development Manager, Liverpool FA said:- "For the programme to be nominated and to win a National FA Award in its inaugural year, is a testament to the impact it has made upon its participants. It highlights the importance of collaborative partnerships and the changes we can make to our female community when we work together. Over 120 females have been engaged, with 48 to become qualified FA Referees and Coaches and this is just the start as we aim to role the programme out to other ages across the Region."

Detective Superintendent Siobhan Gainer, Head of the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership, said:- "Positive activities go such a long way to increase young people's confidence, inspire them to believe in themselves, hone skills such as communications and teamwork and give them a life long love of sport and good health, hopefully bringing about positive influences in their lives. From its inception to the final's day and this award, She Inspires has proved a real winner, and turned those participating into true champions."

Southport's ArtHouse to display work by Kate Tidmarsh its 'Artist of the Month'

EXPERIMENTAL collagraphic printmaker, Kate Tidmarsh, is always pushing the boundaries of textbook methodology in her personal explorations into image making. "I am most happy combining my technical handprinting skills with a 'what would happen if' approach, resulting in unique exciting investigations and outcomes."

Working from her canal side studio in West Lancashire, Kate draws upon her location to feed her imagination. "I work in equal parts from the distilled memory of a place and in response to the colour and pattern in my immediate environment, producing unique or very small editions of hand pulled prints. I develop what I see through my mind's eye; combining my observations with the memory of previous places and journeys."

Kate's individually inked handmade prints are the result of an assortment of printmaking techniques including:- monoprint, drypoint, lino print and collagraph printing transferred using oil based inks onto a wide variety of papers. "I particularly enjoy the experimental (and slightly unpredictable) aspects of printmaking, and often use unusual materials and starting points to develop my abstract interpretations of the world around me."

Kate began her artistic journey many years ago working as a freelance woven textile designer, designing and selling to the contract furnishing fabric trade. Fast forward (through several careers) to a point in her life when she was eventually able to devote more time to doing what she liked best; exploring and creating with colour. "Printing, like weaving, has a lot of problem solving and practical considerations, which I have always found satisfying."

Latterly, Kate has been increasingly drawn to documenting the journey she takes when pursuing her ideas through a personal cycle of investigation, process and response. "I enjoy the process of developing concepts or ideas, exploring variations and producing work in a series, which printing allows me to do easily. Documenting this journey of exploration is an important part of my work."

Although Kate enjoys creating images in a series or theme, each finished piece is individual and viewed as a 1 off piece of art.

Certainly not 1 to be missed, this latest showing by Kate Tidmarsh will be on display at the ArtHouse, Eastbank Street, Southport from:- 26 November 2022 to 7 January 2023. The gallery is open:- Tuesday to Friday, from:- 10.00 to 15.00, and on Saturday:- 11.00 to 16.00.r