Hertfordshire FA has been successfully shortlisted in the Partnership category at the 2024 County FA Recognition Awards

The Awards, the winners of which will be announced at Wembley Stadium connected by EE on Thursday 7 November 2024, recognise and endorse the best projects, products and services delivered by County FAs over the past season while sharing best practice and learnings from around the country.

Over 225 nominations have been entered from the 50 County FAs operating across England, highlighting exceptional delivery and showcasing how they are innovating to improve grassroots football and increase participation across all levels of the game.

The twelve categories which will be recognised at the awards are:

• Brand Engagement
• Coach Development
• Employee Wellbeing & Engagement
• Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
• Facility Development
• Football Development
• Partnership
• Positive Football Environment
• Referee Development
• Special Recognition
• Women & Girls
• Youth Engagement

Hertfordshire FA has made the final shortlist in the Partnership category for our work with Hertfordshire County Council to raise awareness across the game about the risk of radicalisation to young people and how football can play a part in protecting them.

Our training sessions to clubs and leagues cover the context of extremist activity in Hertfordshire and across the country, as well as providing an understanding of potential warning signs and how these should be reported, helping them to prevent harm in their local communities.

Karl Lingham, CEO of Hertfordshire FA said:

"These awards give us an opportunity to showcase our work across a range of areas and we had submitted a number of strong entries this year. With 50 counties putting forward their best work it's always a challenge to stand out and we are proud to have been shortlisted for our work in this vitally important area.

Protecting young people who are involved in the game is at the core of what we do and we believe that Safeguarding vulnerable people from radicalisation is no different from safeguarding them from other forms of harm".

The FA’s Head of Operations for Grassroots Football, Tim Foster added:

“I'd like to congratulate Hertfordshire FA in making the final shortlist for the Partnership Award. We've had some outstanding submissions this year, once again highlighting the crucial role County FAs play in their local communities, ensuring accessible opportunities across all football formats and creating a fun and safe environment for all.”