British Police Women’s Football Team vs An Garda Siochana National Women’s Team:
TeamPolice is buzzing with excitement as we eagerly anticipate the highly anticipated clash between the British Police Women’s Football Team and An Garda Siochana National Women’s Team, set to take place on February 29, 2024, at Tally Ho! π This landmark event is not just a highlight on TeamPolice’s calendar but also a significant occasion in the broader Policing community.
The forthcoming match promises to draw the presence of police seniors, stakeholders, and key decision-makers who will be attending the post-match reception. Following the game, a 3-course dinner awaits guests and attendees, featuring distinguished guest speakers Professor Stacey Pope and ACC Samantha Millar QGM (NPCC).


Sponsors – A Pillar of Support:
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our incredible sponsors, boxxe and Magnet Forensics, for their generous support of this upcoming event. Their commitment reflects a shared dedication to promoting the well-being and achievements of the Police Family while actively celebrating women’s sport. Their contributions are invaluable and play a significant role in enhancing the essence of this event.


Empowering Talks by Distinguished Speakers – The post-match dinner will feature engaging talks by our esteemed guest speakers:
Professor Stacey Pope
Stacey is Theme Leader for the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences and joined Durham University in 2013. She is especially interested in issues of gender, sport and inequality and is a leading figure in the area of women sports fans. Women’s sports fans have been largely ignored in existing studio but Staceyβs research has broken new ground by addressing these shortcomings. Her research interests are interdisciplinary, combining sociology, history, sport, gender and leisure studies. She is author of The Feminisation of Sports Fandom.
ACC Sam Millar (NPCC)
The horrific kidnapping, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer in March 2021 led to women and girls across the country speaking out about their own experiences of violence and abuse, and demanding change. The tragic deaths of other women such as Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, Julia James, Gracie Spinks, Sabina Nessa and Bobbi-Anne Mcleod have kept the issue of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)Β in the public consciousness.
A role of national VAWG coordinator was created in November 2021,Β and the national NPCC VAWG Taskforce was born, which has brought a surge of activity, focussed on policing, seeking to re-build shattered trust and confidence of women and girls, particularly in those violent and abusive crime types where women and girls almost always end up as victims.
In November 2023 ACC Samantha Millar QGM, became the Strategic Programme Director for the National Police Chiefsβ Council Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Taskforce. ACC Millar has been the Programme Lead for the Taskforce under DCC Maggie Blyth since early 2022.
Sam joined West Yorkshire Police in 1993 joining as a graduate entrant, following some time as a commissioned officer in the armed services. In policing, Sam has undertaken roles at every rank in operational delivery in some of the most complex and challenging areas within two forces.Β In 2014, her interest in partnerships saw her head up a large community safety partnership known as Safer Leeds. In this role, Sam had strategic responsibility for a range of safeguarding work streams. She has influenced the national agenda around policing street sex work, has held roles as deputy chair of children safeguarding boards and was recognised locally and nationally for her innovative and influential work with Safer Leeds in developing an operational multi-agency safeguarding hub capability in Leeds.
In 2022 Sam joined the VAWG taskforce, being part of a small group of officers and staff brought in to deliver the policing response to the criticality in trust and confidence felt and experienced by women and girls. Sam has led the programme since this period. Sam brings with her, over 30 years of policing on the frontline of vulnerability. What matters to Sam, is that all abuse and violence towards women and girls is intolerable, its status and service from policing needs to be recognised, prioritised and accountable. The Taskforce has set out what a good response to VAWG looks like for forces and Sam sees it as her role to check and challenge how policing is responding.
The two years of activity within all our forces, across national policing portfolios and within our taskforce activity has created a momentum for change, and we have built some of the foundations for making sure we understand what the threat picture looks like. We have started to understand how forces are performing and continue to showcase where better practices are happening. The tackling of VAWG needs a long-term position in policing, set in a wider context of public protection. The status of the people delivering this service needs recognising, and our executive leadership is a starting place for visionary individuals who see the need to meet the challenges of vulnerability across society. The most vulnerable people cannot be pushed aside, our core role in policing must be to safeguard the majority, prioritised on harm. Policing has to be fit for this challenge and our workforce and their skills and abilities need to reflect our demand.


Creating Positive Change Together:
This event is more than just a football match; it symbolises our collective effort to create an environment that recognises and celebrates the outstanding contributions of individuals and teams in both sports and community service. The commitment of our sponsors boxxe & Magnet Forensics, and the inspiring words from our guest speakers contribute to fostering a community that supports Police Sport, Police Wellbeing and Gender equality.
TeamPolice looks forward to coming together to celebrate Police Sport and support Women in Sport. Together we will foster a culture of improved well-being within the policing community.
Team Police raises much needed funds through an innovative commercial sponsorship scheme
to help improve the well-being of everyone who is serving or has retired from our UK Police
Forces by enabling increased participation in sport and physical activity. TeamPolice is the
fundraising body for police sport in the UK.
PSUK represents all the Police Forces of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and
provides sporting opportunities for over 300,000 serving and retired police staff.
