How a Cheshire businessman has got our GB policewomen’s football team into Europe

Cheshire businessman Richard Delooze has been instrumental in providing sponsorship which will enable Great Britain to compete in the 2025 Women’s Police European Football Championships in Munich.

Richard, brought up in Stockport and now living in Congleton, is a director of Endpoint Automation Services (EAS).

They’re an award winning national automation consultancy who build software robots which carry out tasks usually performed by a human.

Said the GB team manager, Jemma Connor-iommi:

“Sponsorship makes a massive difference. It is absolutely crucial.

“Our players are highly talented individuals who represent their respective police forces everywhere on the international stage, as well as GB.

“We all do it for the love of the beautiful game, not money. Every time we play or train, we are all happy to use some of our annual leave or days off.

“We do not take a penny from the public purse so without sponsorship we would be unable to put on our three or four training camps a year and compete in the Euros.”

Richard, who was brought up in the Heaton Norris area and went to Reddish Vale School, and his father Brian Delooze, are football fans who have followed Stockport County home and away for over 30 years. Richard lives in the West Heath area of Congleton.

Said Richard: 

“I went to the GB police women’s North East training camp recently to see caps presented to players and a game against the Newcastle United women’s team.

“The standard of play was extremely high. These ladies are the real deal, which is no surprise when you consider the strength of character it needs to be taken on as a policewoman.

“Sponsorship has to be a two-way street. It is never just a question of signing up to provide funding and then forgetting about it.”

Jemma is a former Women’s Super League footballer good enough to have played for the Republic of Ireland.

She joined the police force when her professional career ended five years ago, has quickly risen to the rank of inspector and works in the Nottinghamshire police HQ control room.

Jemma added:

“When I joined the police I had no idea a GB team existed and that you could play at such a high standard while still being a police officer.

“Had I known that, I would have considered joining the police force sooner.”

Endpoint, based in Shropshire, were winners of “Best Use of Robotics in Healthcare” in the Health Tech Digital Awards 2022 and have been widely recognised for their introduction of pioneering software automation to the NHS and elsewhere.

They specialise in producing Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions, and. with a background in complex IT and cloud automation, offer automated processing.

Since establishing the business in 2015, Endpoint has achieved over £5 million in cost savings for its clients, through the development and deployment of software robots to replace manual, repetitive processes and freeing up valuable employee time to focus on more meaningful tasks.

Jemma, who born in Birmingham to an Irish father and brought up in Sutton Coldfield, is a former Nottingham Forest captain.

A central midfield player, her other teams included Aston Villa, West Brom and Birmingham City.

For more information on EAS visit: 

www.easuk.co.uk

Pictured - Can’t do it without you: Vanessa Jardine, Co-Chair of Police Sport UK, with Richard Delooze.