Southend United Football Club has launched Draw Her Into The Game, a new county- wide campaign inviting children across Essex to design the club’s first-ever female mascot – a figure intended to represent the future of women and girls in football.
The winning design will be officially revealed at Southend United Ladies’ inaugural women’s fixture at Roots Hall Stadium, when they face Colchester United in a special exhibition match on Saturday, May 16, 2026.
The initiative invites children aged 16 or under to create a mascot that reflects Southend United’s values of joy through football, togetherness and community, while celebrating the club’s seaside identity and its growing women’s programme. Entries can be submitted through schools or digitally, with artwork showcased by the club throughout the campaign period.
By unveiling the mascot at Roots Hall, the club is directly linking creative participation to a landmark moment in its history, as the women’s team plays at the stadium for the first time in front of the club’s wider supporter base.
Every school that enters the competition will receive tickets for pupils to attend the landmark fixture, ensuring young participants are present when the mascot they helped inspire is unveiled on the pitch.
Former England international and broadcaster Sue Smith, alongside javelin world-record holder Fatima Whitbread, have been announced as ambassadors for the campaign, lending national support and underlining its wider message around representation, confidence and opportunity for young people.
Sue Smith commented: “’I am proud to become an ambassador for the ‘Draw Her Into The Game’ campaign. The programme will help to engage young people with the club’s inclusive values, and it will be special to see it all come together at Roots Hall when the women’s team play their first game at the historic ground’
Fatima Whitbread said: “Southend United have the right attitude to supporting young people and making the community a safer place. When you give a young person the chance to survive, they will thrive; I’m delighted to be involved as an ambassador”
Rylee Doe, Commercial & Marketing Manager at Southend United, added: “Draw Her Into The Game is about giving young people, especially girls, a sense of ownership and belonging within the club. By asking children across Essex to help create our first female
mascot, we’re saying that the future of Southend United should be shaped by the community it represents.
“Revealing the mascot at our women’s first match at Roots Hall brings that message to life in the most powerful way possible, and we can’t wait to see the creativity our community produces!”
The Draw Her Into The Game competition is open now, with a submission deadline of Wednesday, March 4, 2026. The winning design will be developed into a permanent club mascot, with the designer receiving VIP matchday experiences, club kits and season tickets, alongside long-term recognition through official matchday use.
Children can submit their designs through participating schools, or online by parents and carers through email at mascot@southend-united.co.uk. The campaign is supported by BTMK Solicitors, c2c Rail and Her Game Too.
