We are delighted to have been awarded a grant from the Barclays Community Football Fund, being delivered in partnership with Sported, to support the growth of our Women’s recreational football sessions.
Women and girls are underrepresented in the local grassroots football scene, despite football being England’s fastest growing female team sport. This grant allows us to continue to encourage people to get active with in our games in a friendly and welcoming environment.
We’re committed to providing weekly recreational football sessions to Women and Girls living in and around Dacorum and we’ve recently added a second game to our regular Monday session at the Focus Community Arena, Hemel Hempstead Town FC. The grant will fund the long term booking of Hemel FC’s brilliant facilities and ensure we can offer participation at a subsidised affordable fee (just £3 a week). The grant will also ensure women and girls who want to play with us have suitable clothing, boots and equipment; if required we can support the purchase or female-specific kit. We’re also continuing to fund and support local women and girls who are interested in FA Coach training.
Our women only games have been running for just over year. In August 2022, after running popular Men’s Over 30’s Football games for two years, we trialled Women only sessions (with no age restrictions). We had a fantastic response and have organised regular games since. Subject to online booking to confirm availability, women and girls can just play in Hemel Hempstead in our friendly small-sided games – you don’t need to rely on having enough players to book your own pitch or even be part of your own team, just register and play!
The Barclays Community Football Fund offers grants, training and support resources to help reduce inequalities in the participation of football. The fund supports local organisations (like ours) supporting young people from under-represented groups to start or keep playing!
Sported is the largest network of community sports groups in the UK, supporting almost 3,000 groups heling young people facing disadvantage to build confidence, gain skills and get their lives on track.
Providing equal access to girls football and organising football for the community are part of the FA ‘s transformational objectives aiming to be achieved by 2024 as part of the FA’s Women and Girls Football Strategy; we’re delighted to be able to offer these sessions after running popular men’s games for so long.
Community Kickabout 