Ione Gildroy
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the FA has announced a new £30 million fund for grassroots women’s football.
Lionesses Futures Fund
Following the Lionesses’ success at this summer’s World Cup, the UK Government will be providing £25 million in funding to support women’s football. The FA will contribute a further £5 million.
This funding is part of the government’s goal to increase national activity levels of children and adults by 2030.
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The new Lionesses Futures Fund will provide 30 new pitches and facilities that prioritise women’s and girls’ teams. This will include women only evenings as well as priority booking options for female teams.
New facilities will also include dedicated female shower facilities, changing rooms and accessible toilets. This aims to drive participation and accessibility.
Responses To The Lionesses Futures Fund
Speaking to BBC Sport, England right-back Lucy Bronze expressed her excitement after news of the increase in funding. “We are super excited — after the Euros and the World Cup, we wanted to create a legacy. Having success as a team means we can push the game forward. Not only at the professional level but all the way down and give back to young girls,” she said.
“The Government are currently investing over £400 million in grassroots sports across the UK.”
“I remember my first game. I had to get changed on my own because the only changing room was used by the boys. We want women to thrive, to be confident and having those facilities and accessibility will make a huge difference.”
The Government are currently investing over £400 million in grassroots sports across the UK. The funding requires that 40 per cent of the money goes to supporting under-represented groups. This includes females and those with disabilities, as well as investments in tennis courts, swimming pools and other facilities.
A Step in the Right Direction
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer announced the investment at a Lionesses training session before their recent match against the Netherlands. “During the World Cup, I said that we would do everything possible to support women and girls’ football so we can watch our Lionesses roar on the world stage for generations to come,” she began.
“Building on our unprecedented support for grassroots facilities, this is just the latest move in our commitment to invest in women and girls’ grassroots sport facilities, and ensure the squad’s legacy lives long into the future.”
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CEO of the FA, Mark Bullingham, said: “The biggest obstacle to participation is access to pitches and this investment will provide high quality facilities in communities across the country that need them the most.
“The local pitch is where it all starts and we hope this will help women and girls from all communities and of all ages to play the sport. For some, a game of football will be simply a source of happiness and health. For others it might be a competitive challenge. And for a few, it will be the start of a journey to the top of the game. Whatever the motivation these facilities are designed to support the players.”
“Thanks to the Lionesses Futures Fund our ambition to deliver more facilities that prioritise access for women and girls to play football has been accelerated,” said Robert Sullivan, CEO of the Football Foundation.
“This new fund is an exciting next step in our determination to support the rapid growth of the women and girls’ game. Over 8,500 women and girls’ football teams are playing at sites that have received funding from the Football Foundation. Thanks to the funding of the Government, the Premier League and the FA we will ensure every community has a great place to play.”
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Featured image courtesy of Number 10 via Flickr. No changes have been made to this image. Image license found here.
