Southend United inviting children across Essex to design the club's first female mascot
The winning design will be unveiled at a Ladies Team match
Southend United have launched their "Draw Her Into The Game" campaign, inviting children across the county to design the club's first-ever female mascot.
The winning design is set to be officially unveiled at the Ladies Team's inaugural fixture against Colchester United in May.
The initiative is inviting children aged 16 or under to create a mascot that reflects the team's values of joy through football, togetherness and community, while celebrating the club’s seaside identity and its growing women’s programme.
Entries can be submitted through schools or digitally.
Every school that enters the competition will receive tickets for pupils to attend the landmark fixture.
Former England international and broadcaster Sue Smith, alongside javelin world-record holder Fatima Whitbread, have been announced as ambassadors for the campaign, lending national support and underlining its wider message around representation, confidence and opportunity for young people.
Sue Smith commented: “'I am proud to become an ambassador for the ‘Draw Her Into The Game’ campaign. The programme will help to engage young people with the club's inclusive values, and it will be special to see it all come together at Roots Hall when the women’s team play their first game at the historic ground’
Fatima Whitbread said: “Southend United have the right attitude to supporting young people and making the community a safer place. When you give a young person the chance to survive, they will thrive; I’m delighted to be involved as an ambassador”
Rylee Doe, Commercial & Marketing Manager at Southend United, added: “Draw Her Into The Game is about giving young people, especially girls, a sense of ownership and belonging within the club. By asking children across Essex to help create our first female mascot, we’re saying that the future of Southend United should be shaped by the community it represents.
“Revealing the mascot at our women’s first match at Roots Hall brings that message to life in the most powerful way possible, and we can’t wait to see the creativity our community produces!”