Lionesses success recognised with £30m fund for grassroots women’s football
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the FA have announced a £30m fund for grassroots women’s football in England.
It comes off the back of the Lionesses’ success over the past few years – which has helped raise women’s football to new heights.
The 2022 Euros win and England’s reaching the 2023 Women’s World Cup final have boosted the game massively – and at club level attendance is massively growing and viewership is also up – over 1.1 million people tuned in to the BBC to watch Chelsea vs Liverpool.
The Lionesses Futures Fund will provide 30 new 3G pitches and facilities prioritising women’s and girls’ teams across England.
The UK Government is providing £25m and the FA £5m.
Women’s and girls’ only evenings and priority booking options for women’s and girls’ teams will be introduced at all of the new sites, alongside dedicated female changing rooms, shower facilities and accessible toilets.
“We are super excited – after the Euros and the World Cup, we wanted to create a legacy,” England defender Lucy Bronze told BBC Sport.
“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 things we may not have had when we were growing up.
“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.”
England’s Euro 2022-winning squad wrote an open letter to the government calling for equal access to sports in schools, including football, which led to a £600m fund over two academic years.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer announced the investment at a Lionesses training session at St George’s Park before their Nations League match against the Netherlands at Wembley on Friday.
“During the World Cup I said that we would do everything possible to support women’s and girls’ football,” said Frazer.
“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.”
