Merseyside Police teams up with local football clubs to celebrate Black History Month
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Today, Wednesday 16th October, Merseyside Police teamed up with Everton in the Community and Liverpool FC Foundation to offer a special football experience for five schools, as part of their annual Black History Month art competition.
The competition, now in its 4th year, is a great opportunity for pupils to learn about Black History Month and to celebrate and understand the impact of black heritage and culture. It enables the force to engage with young people on a different level, helping to improve relationships by building trust and confidence.
This year’s theme was ‘Unsung Heroes’ where the students were asked to design a poster of a Black role model, past or present, who they found inspirational or heroic. 33 schools from each region of Merseyside took part, with over 70 entries submitted.
Today the five winners from each area and their classmates were invited to visit both football stadiums. They attended Anfield to hear from representatives from Merseyside Police; Anthony Walker Foundation; Liverpool City Council, and LFC player and ambassador Natasha Dowie. The students then headed over to Everton in the Community’s Campus, where Everton star, Roman Dixon, joined them and participated in football drills and skills sessions run by the charity’s Premier League Primary Stars delivery staff.
To judge the entries, a range of partners came together at a judging panel day facilitated by Tranmere Rovers Football Club. The winning designs were picked from the following schools:
- St Helens - St Bartholomew’sCatholic Primary School
- Sefton - All Saints Catholic Primary School
- Liverpool – Lawerence Community Primary School
- Knowsley - St Aloysius Catholic Primary School
- Wirral - Liscard Primary School
In addition to the stadium trip, the winning designs will also be displayed at the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool as part of their Black History Month Celebrations.
Inspector Az Rahman from the force Community Engagement Team said: “Running this annual competition is not only a great way to inspire our young people of the contributions and achievements of Black role models in our communities and beyond, but it also provides a positive way for us to engage with a younger age group that we don’t often come into contact with.
“Being able to interact with the students on days like today means we can help give them the confidence to speak to us in the future but also help to educate them on the different types of roles available within the police, maybe even inspiring future career options for them.
“This year’s competition has been more popular than ever and so I would like to sincerely thank all of our partners; Liverpool Foundation; Everton In The Community; Tranmere football club; the Anthony Walker Foundation; each of the region's local authorities, and finally the International Slavery Museum for each coming on board and offering their support.
“Working together, we have been able to offer something special for the students and offer something that will hopefully be really different and memorable for them.”
Everton in the Community’s Primary School and Early Years Programme Manager, Olivia Cardwell, explained the importance of giving young people the opportunity to learn about Black History Month.
"Black History Month is a vital opportunity to educate and inspire young people by highlighting the significant contributions of Black individuals, both past and present.
“Through initiatives like this, we aim to provide students with not only an understanding of Black heritage and culture, but also the chance to reflect on the values of inclusivity and respect.
“Working alongside Merseyside Police and other local organisations enables us to connect with young people in a meaningful way, building trust and confidence while celebrating diversity.
“We were also delighted to have a special appearance from Everton star Roman Dixon, who joined us on campus and took part in the day's activities, making the experience even more memorable."
Dionne Johnson, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Department Manager at LFC Foundation said, “We’d like to welcome all of today’s young people to Anfield to learn about the history and Black heritage in our communities.
By working alongside Merseyside Police, Everton In The Community, Tranmere Rovers In The Community, the Anthony Walker Foundation, the International Slavery Museum and our local authorities, we've been able to deliver a wonderful competition and an engaging day that will leave these young people with some amazing memories.
It is important for us to use occasions like today to highlight the achievements of some amazing Black role models from across Liverpool City Region and beyond to inspire children from a young age.
As the official charity of Liverpool Football Club, we’re proud to have former LFC player John Barnes act as an ambassador for the Club and World Champion athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson as an ambassador for the Foundation."