Northern Ireland’s qualification for the European Championship finals in England next summer promises to be a real Game Changer for Women’s sport north and south of the border and one of the teams key sponsors has moved quickly to kick off how that impact can be made real.

Electric Ireland has announced the launch of Shooting For The Stars Children’s Competition as part of their Game Changers NI campaign which in partnership with the Irish FA, supports girls’ and women’s football at all levels.

The competition invites children between the ages of 7-11 who are interested in football and stories, to sharpen their pencils, ‘boot up’ the laptops and create their very own story about girls’ football.

Entrants are invited to submit an original story of between 300 and 500 words with a girls’ football theme.

The winner will have their story illustrated by a professional illustrator and produced in a book by Blackstaff Press which will then be distributed through the Irish FA Shooting Stars network and will be made available to schools and libraries across Northern Ireland.

There will be two runners-up each of whom will receive a prize of a NI kit and a Shooting for the Stars book.

The stories will be judged by a panel led by actor and playwright Tara Lynne O’Neill who will be supported by illustrator Rory Jeffers, Gail Redmond, Women’s Development Officer at the Irish FA and Clare McAllister, Northern Ireland Residential Manager for Electric Ireland.

“At the Irish FA, we’re behind a raft of programmes from grassroots to elite to encourage young girls right across the country to get involved in our game,” said Gail Redmond.

“Interest in the women’s game is growing all the time so this is a great time to launch this competition.”

Also peaking at the launch of the competition Tara Lynne, who has written Rough Girls a play about women’s football and is a keen supporter of the game, added “I am genuinely excited to be involved in this wonderful project. Women’s football is a subject very close to my heart and I believe that the Electric Ireland Shooting for the Stars book will be an inspiration to many girls.”

“I would encourage all parents and families of children aged between 7-11 to support their child in getting involved in this fantastic project. To children I would say, let your imagination run wild, your story can be about one girl or about a whole team of game-changing girls who are shooting for the stars, just get creative and get your thoughts down on paper.”

The competition is open from the 16th of April and will close on Friday 14th May at 5 pm.

For more information on the competition and how to enter please visit the website http://www.electricireland.com/shootingstars

We look forward to following its progress and that of the team over the coming months.

 

Sport for Business Partners