Today is the 2024 Community Shield between the blue and red half’s of Manchester at Wembley Stadium which will also play host to the annual Grassroots Football Awards.
I was awarded the 2021 England Football and Mcdonalds Rising Star of the Year after being nominated by Herefordshire Football Association (HFA) for my work as the chair of there youth council and that of the Football versus Homophobia (FVH) youth panel.
Since then I have successfully campaigned for there to be a number of new dropped curbs installed at various locations across Herefordshire where I believed they were desperately needed.
June 2024 saw the installation of further dropped curbs on Barrie Road and Westfaling Street in the city following the instillation 2 years previously.
As you, my readers and followers will know I contacted the team at WMT (West Midlands Trains) in February 2023 regarding my concerns around the passenger assistance service that is offered to football supporters on match-days and local residents living in the area.
I met with the team in November last year after months of trying to positively engage with the organisation, at the meeting which was held at Witton Lane station near Birmingham, I asked if it would be possible for accessibility waiting areas to be installed on the platforms at both Witton Lane and Aston stations.
The following month (December, 2023) saw us return to the station and determine where the signage would be positioned on the each of the platforms.
Fast forward to February this year and the signage was finally installed at Witton Lane with Aston following suit a few months later.
West Midlands Trains have since decided to install the signage at a number of different stations around the region and they are:
- Northampton
- The Hawthorns
- Coventry Arena
- Telford
- Tile Hill
- Kenilworth
- University
It is important to note the following, Discussions remain ongoing at West Midlands Trains about whether the accessibility signage can be installed at Tile Hill station after their health and safety team raised concerns about how narrow the platforms are.
Passengers using the waiting spaces on either platform could be put at risk when high speed trains are passing through the station because of how close they would be to the train.
The “Listen in with the youth council podcast series” that I helped to co-produce in 2021 gave me the skills to write and then ask difficult questions of both people and organisations when it is required.
After the success of our podcast series we took the unprecedented step and decided to run a staff interview series in a bid to get to know the staff at Herefordshire FA (HFA) better.
Did you miss the “Listen in with the youth council podcast series?, if the answer is yes and you would like to check it out after reading this blog the links to each episode can be found below:
Episode 1- Disability: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSiaUsEC6_w&list=PLXSU1UHfkRrOcU0GwMmEP3OvdrWVDK5EO&index=1
Episode 2 – Gender and Discrimination: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwuyuSXB1wg&list=PLXSU1UHfkRrOcU0GwMmEP3OvdrWVDK5EO&index=2
Episode 3 – Mental Health: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm1EsoQb5qw&list=PLXSU1UHfkRrOcU0GwMmEP3OvdrWVDK5EO&index=3
Episode 4 – Sexuality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBwSONPZSaw&list=PLXSU1UHfkRrOcU0GwMmEP3OvdrWVDK5EO&index=4.
Our podcast has received a total of 716 views since it was created in 2021 which is incredible to see.
I was also given the opportunity to interview Harry Baker, an England Cerebral Palsy International by Football versus Homophobia (FVH) during the 2021 month of action, if you missed my interview with Harry when it was first aired catch on with it here, https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=130282145636174
Winning a grassroots football award, really can change lives and I am prove of that!!!!
Did you enjoy reading today’s piece on the impact of winning a grassroots football award, if they answer is yes then why not subscribe and receive my posts direct to your inbox within minutes of publication:
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I would like to take this time to congulate the winners of the 2024 Grassroots football awards and thank my loyal readers and followers who continually take the time out of your busy schedules to read my latest posts, it doesn’t go unnoticed and is very much appreciated.
Cam
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