a special football experience for five schools, as part of an annual Black History Month art competition.

The competition saw 33 schools from across Merseyside take part, with over 70 entries submitted under the theme of ‘Unsung Heroes’ where the students designed a poster of a Black role model, past or present, who they found inspirational or heroic.

The competition was great opportunity for pupils to learn about Black History Month and to celebrate and understand the impact of black heritage and culture. It allows us to engage with young people on a different level, helping to improve relationships by building trust and confidence. 

The five winners from each area and their classmates attended Anfield Stadium to hear from representatives from Merseyside Police, Jude Agis from the Anthony Walker Foundation, Donna Palmer from SIL Liverpool, and Liverpool FC former player and ambassador Natasha Dowie as well as a surprise visit from our very own Mighty Red.

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.”

Inspector Az Rahman from the Merseyside Police 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.”

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.