Angela (Chair) She/Her

Angela has a background in research, insight and strategy, previously in the private sector and now within the sports sector, currently heading up the Insight & Strategy Team at British Rowing. Diversity & Inclusion is a big part of what Angela does day-to-day and she is passionate about tackling any inequalities within any sport. She has recently undertaken a large research study on the issues and challenges within the diversity and inclusion space, and believes it is critical to listen to the lived experiences of those who do not feel included.

Angela has lived in Lincolnshire since 2008 and has been part of the football community through her sons playing at grassroots level and within development programmes. She has lived and breathed football all her life and has enjoyed many moments in football grounds all over the country or on the touchline at the local field.

Emma (Vice-Chair) 

Emma is a confident and dynamic business consultant within tourism, education, heritage, hospitality and the arts, and is passionate about improving outcomes for communities, families and business growth predominantly within the Lincolnshire area. With a background in early years education, Emma has extensive experience in teaching, lecturing and training. She has a love of the arts and hospitality, delivering a strong customer care culture, and refining business operations, which drives her to enrich visitor experiences in her career, where she is proud to act as a driving force for positive change and deliver innovative projects across Lincolnshire’s public and private sectors. 

As an ambassador of equality, diversity and inclusion, Emma utilises innovation and passion to consult for a variety of businesses, boards and individuals.  Through bringing a creative yet strategic approach to organisational growth, Emma researches contemporary agendas, generates funding , and delivers commercial success - with customer care as the bedrock to all delivery. 

Emma is delighted to make the step into football and support the future ambitions of the Lincolnshire FA Inclusion advisory group.

Naomi (she/Her) 

Naomi has been a lifelong football player, currently playing for Hackney Women FC. She joined the IAG because of her passion for levelling the playing field for women in football.

Alongside completing her MSc in Sports Marketing, Naomi also runs a small business called ‘Girls Empowerment Through Sports’, that encourages girls to stay in sports after puberty. On top of this, Naomi is the Athlete Engagement Specialist for Ida Sports, a female-specific football boot company.

In the past, Naomi cofounded the Association for Women in Sports Media- University of Wisconsin Chapter, and worked with two professional football teams in the United States: D.C. United and Forward Madison. 

Naomi can’t get enough of football – in her spare time, her favourite way to spend a day is an outing to watch Chelsea FC Men’s and Women’s teams! 

Lauren (she/Her)

Lauren has been involved within various sports during and after education. Taking part has given her valuable sporting experiences within different environments which she can transfer through her coaching skills. Lauren currently coaches at Lincoln United FC where she is working her way through her football coaching badges, while also being Inclusion and Diversity Officer for the club.

Her aim is to increase the visibility and inclusivity of football to those that are a minority within the sport, while also working with others to positively make change within my club and the county. Being on the IAG will help her identify and create opportunities within the county for football to be accessible, welcoming and sustainable to everyone that is involved in football. Lauren also represents the views of the Youth Council on the Group.

Shan (she/Her)

Shan is a Solicitor with a 40-year track record advising in Management, Corporate Governance, Legal and Safeguarding service areas. Shan is a Partner of Sills & Betteridge LLP, specialising in Employment Law, and was previously a Solicitor and Advocate advising on Child Protection at Lincolnshire County Council, representing the Lincolnshire County Council in the Magistrates, County and High Courts.  She became Head of the Child Protection Unit, dealing with the most serious cases, and sat on the Lincolnshire County Council's Safeguarding Board.

As Branch Manager at the Firm's Gainsborough office, Shan has led sponsorship of local football and disability football to ensure that the Firm promotes local need, looking after local people.

Shan holds the position of Vice-Chair of the Lincolnshire FA board and, as a Director, has responsibility for Organisational Development. She is now Lincolnshire's representative on the National FA Council, and is also an advocate for the disability game through her position on the Disability Football Committee, and is becoming increasingly involved in this area.

Marc

Marc is an experienced football coach who has worked for over 10 years within the men’s, women’s and youth game. Originally from Surrey, Marc moved to Oxford and then onto Lincoln, and has coached football in all these locations. This has given Marc the experience of working with a variety of people from a range of backgrounds, putting him in a position to support the Lincolnshire Football Association in forming the inclusion strategy for the county. 

Marc’s philosophy and belief is that football is a game in which everyone should be able to experience and enjoy without fear of prejudice of any type.

Steve (he/Him)

Steve works for the Royal Air Force and has experience working with a diverse range of people around the world. He has seen how different views and opinions are crucial for success and how engaging with diverse groups of individuals opens different avenues of thought. He has played football for the RAF Officers’ Team in Bulgaria and the Netherlands, before hanging up his boots and moving into coaching.

Steve completed his Level 1 coaching qualification before taking on an Under 14 side in Lincolnshire, as well as becoming a qualified referee. He has refereed at St George’s Park for the RAF Veterans against West Brom Over 35s and taken on two cup finals as an assistant referee, all in his first season. 

This diverse range of exposure to various levels of the grassroots game gives him the opportunity to see how we can influence the game and where change is needed, from the unique perspective of a referee.

Blake

Blake is a passionate advocate for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and has been working in the sector for the last 7 years, specifically LGBTQ+ inclusion and in health inequalities in relation to race and gender.

In 2022, Blake founded the Lincolnshire Lancers - the first gay and inclusive sports club in the region, providing a safe and supportive space for individuals to participate try, participate and return to rugby. Through working with Premier League and EFL academies he developed a deeper passion for creating community-level sports environment that embraces diversity, making sports accessible to all and boosting opportunity to access and succeed in football to communities that have not always felt welcomed or able to participate.

Charlotte (she/Her)

Charlotte has been involved in football for many years, participating in grassroots football as a child and teenager in London, Middlesex and Peterborough. Charlotte took the step into coaching at 15, in both Peterborough and most recently at Lincoln United, giving her experience in a range of different grassroots environments. She is extremely passionate about making football a more accessible and inclusive space, and developing her understanding of the barriers for minority groups to access the sport to better her own practice. 
 
Charlotte has just finished her Sports Development and Coaching Degree at the University of Lincoln. She has taken a particular interest in sports sociology, writing her dissertation on the how the intersectionality of race and gender affects the experiences of black female sports coaches. She also held a position on the School of Sport and Exercise Science Equality Diversity and Inclusion Student Board. 
 
Charlotte has stated that she has joined the Lincolnshire FA IAG to help clubs and Lincolnshire FA create a football environment which is both inclusive and representative of the community of Lincolnshire, as well as to work alongside different community groups to understand how different groups can be supported to enable widespread participation within the county.