Launched by Merseyside’s Police Commissioner and Chief Constable, the action-packed event gave the young girls the chance to take part in fun, motivational football sessions delivered by professional coaches from the LFC Foundation and Everton in the Community, as well as a host of interactive and creative sessions.

Hosted by Liverpool County FA and supported by schools, LFC Foundation, Everton in the Community, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and the Rapid Relief Team, the festival saw the girls, aged between 11 and 13, take part in ‘skills and drills’ football sessions and visit various stations offering them the chance to try DJ’ing, gaming, boxing, dance skills and hair dressing, as well as take advantage of coaching and mentoring services.

We also welcomed Liverpool FC player Missy Bo Kearns to the event, where she chatted with the young girls, answered their football questions and even had a quick game of football with them too.

The event also looked to inspire the young women to consider a career in policing or the fire service through a range of displays from Merseyside Police’s Matrix, Roads Policing, Mounted and Dogs teams and Merseyside Fire and Rescue’s RTC unit.

The festival is the first stage in a wider programme that will see weekly coaching sessions delivered in schools by LFC Foundation and Everton in the Community during the autumn half term. These 180 sessions will be focused on areas where young women may not have access to many other opportunities and where the activities can have the biggest impact.

Participants will also be given the opportunity to earn recognised and fully funded qualifications in coaching and refereeing, designed to equip them with vital skills to boost their self-esteem and help them in life including leadership, mentoring, coaching, peer support and teamwork.

The She Inspires tournament was launched by the PCC, Emily Spurrell, and Chief Constable, Serena Kennedy, last March to mark International Women’s Day. It reached more than 120 young women, aged between 15 and 18, and culminated in an exciting finale at the Jeffrey Humble in Aintree in July attended by Liverpool FC Women player Missy Bo Kearns.

The initiative was so successful it was awarded for Innovation in the Women and Girls Football category at the 2022 National County FA awards in recognition of its work to improve grassroots football, encourage new players and inspiring existing ones at Wembley Stadium last November.

This year’s event is set to be even more successful with the first ‘festival of football’ attracting hundreds of young women and kicking off a fantastic programme of training and activities running for the rest of the year.