Rotherham United Community Sports Trust have received funding from the Football League Trust and the FA to engage 360 girls who currently don’t play football.
For the first time, The FA and Sport England have joined forces with the Premier League and The Football League to provide new grassroots girls and women’s football sessions for 14-25 year-olds.The new FA Women’s and Girls’ programme, with an investment of over £2.4m over the next two years from Sport England funding, will see Premier League and Football League Club Trusts deliver season-long coaching programmes, aiming to reach over 40,000 new female players into the sport.
The money will see us working at 8 different venues a week providing fun coaching sessions to a minimum of 15 girls per session for a block of 10 weeks. This funding will enable us to engage even more girls onto the first step of the girl’s football ladder.
The Women and Girls’ football was launched at the Rotherham United v Wolves game where the initiative was supported by the Rotherham United Ladies team and the junior section for the Ladies team; Rotherham United WGFC in partnership with Brinsworth Whitehill.
We were also joined at the Launch by Eva Egginton, Girls and Women’s Development Officer and Nicol Meredith, National Women and Girls Football Project Development Coordinator for the Football League Trust.
Nicol commented “The Football League Trust, Female Football Development programme is a powerful initiative in which we are pleased to be part of. The new programme will not only give many more young women the opportunity to try football, but allow Community Scheme to engage in an innovative way.”
Jamie Noble, Head of Community said “I think it’s great that Sport England, the FA and the Football League Trust are showing their commitment to women and girls football by providing funding to get them more involved in physical activity and football.
“The Trust are overwhelmed to receive this funding as it will allow us to go out into the Community and do everything that we can to get the women and girls in Rotherham involved in Football.
“Finally I would like to thank Eva and Nicol for coming down to the launch as well as Rotherham United Ladies and WGFC.”