Supporting Women’s and Girls’ Football
Making sure that everybody has the opportunity to play.
Talent Inclusion Programme
Talent is everywhere…opportunity isn’t.
Partnering with The FA, the EFL Trust and its network deliver two programmes to provide more girls in England the opportunity and access to play football and a pathway to becoming an England Lioness.
The Talent Inclusion programme ensures that through the existing community activities delivered by 34 EFL Club Community Organisations (CCOs), female participants can be identified and referred to the FA England Women’s Talent Pathway. Our CCOs are supported by an education and learning programme managed by the EFL Trust and supported by The FA.
Together, the EFL Trust and The FA recognise that social class, ethnicity and demographics should not be a barrier to success.
For those girls showing potential, we will create a pathway from community to full England honours, with an educated workforce that identifies and supports potential. CCOs will be encouraged to develop their own programme plan based on their expertise of the local area, taking into consideration known barriers faced by young girls.
The EFL Trust CCOs work in some of the most deprived communities in England, where individuals and families experience challenges when trying to participate in sport and other activities. Female football has become a significant part of CCO delivery and engagement has hit an all-time high, given this, there is a considerable opportunity for potential to be identified and developed in the right environment. In particular, research from The FA has indicated that girls from low-socio-economic urban areas are not progressing into the talent system which is a lost opportunity for both young girls and the England team.
It is paramount to the future of England’s female football that the pathway is a system for all, the EFL Trust and The FA are committed to working collaboratively to be creative and inventive to achieve this goal together.
The programme is still in within its infancy and we are currently working with 34 CCOs who went through a vigorous selection process to ensure we could gain access to those girls in urban areas struggling to gain access to the pathway.
The ultimate goal is to unearth hidden talent who will one day put on that famous England shirt. The goal of the collaborative partnership between the EFL Trust and The FA is to ensure that this happens.
For further information on the project, please contact the Women’s Talent Inclusion Project Officer Nicol Meredith [email protected]
Weetabix Wildcats Programme
The FA and EFL Trust have Partnered to Deliver The Weetabix Wildcats Programme Across the Country to provide an increased opportunity for girls to play football.
The partnership aims to inspire over 1,600 girls to take up football in their local community through Weetabix Wildcat sessions delivered by 34 EFL Club Community Organisations (CCOs) from across England. Each of the 34 CCOs will launch three Wildcats Centres in their local area with an aim to increase girl’s participation from under-represented groups, including those living in areas of high deprivation and from Black and Asian backgrounds.
Weetabix Wildcats helps girls aged 5-11 get involved with football for the first time with others their own age. The programme gives girls the opportunity to play football in a fun and friendly environment, providing the perfect setting for youngsters to stay active, build confidence, and meet new friends.
Loo Brackpool, Head of Participation and Community Engagement at EFL Trust, said:
“I am delighted that we can announce the expansion of our work with The FA on girls’ football. Our CCOs already provide real opportunities for girls to get active and this partnership will extend this further – particularly focussing on those who experience barriers to participation.
Following International Women’s Day, this is a great way to help boost the prospects of females in the beautiful game and give them the opportunities they deserve.”
Louise Gear, The FA’s Head of Football Development, said:
“As stated in our Women’s and Girls’ strategy Inspiring Positive Change, by 2024, we want girls to have equal access to football, so we’re delighted to be announcing this partnership with The EFL Trust, which will make a huge difference to young girls around the country. Working with the EFL Trust will allow us to grow our Weetabix Wildcat programme and help support this ambition with a particular focus on engaging girls from historically underrepresented communities.”
To find out more information about the Weetabix Wildcats programme or to find a session near you, visit here.
