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Lionesses star Nikita Parris visited grassroots side Chadderton FC this week to celebrate The National Lottery’s investment into women’s and girl’s football.
For more than 30 years, The National Lottery has invested more than £6 billion into grassroots sports, including changing the game for women’s and girls’ football. The investment has helped drive progress from the elite success to grassroots growth, including funding for the UEFA Women’s Euro Legacy Programme, creating over 500,000 opportunities for women and girls to get involved with the game.
Parris, who started her grassroots journey at Kingsley United in Liverpool, has witnessed the meteoric rise of grassroots level since the historical Euros win of the Lionesses on home soil in 2022. More than £30 million has been raised by National Lottery players each week to help fund 90,000 grassroots sports projects.
Parris said: “It definitely has captivated young players because they’re out here in the rain, enjoying a session powered by The National Lottery who have invested £6 million. The girls are out here having fun and ultimately creating memories and having some celebrations of the Women’s Euros.”
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This event saw over 20 girls from Chadderton’s youth teams take part in the session with the Euro 2022 winner, despite the rain. They are home to five girls’ teams from U11s to U16s.
Chadderton have been able to grow their women and girls football section thanks to a significant National Lottery investment. They received a £950,000 National Lottery grant through the Football Foundation’s Lionesses Fund, supporting the creation of the £1.4 million 3G pitch that serves as the club’s heartbeat.
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Chadderton FC coach Sophie Julien said: “About five or six years ago, we didn’t have a girls section but we’ve grown massively with over 150 girls signed on, which is over 20 percent of the club’s total membership.”
Chadderton hosted a Big Football Day, powered by The National Lottery on July 13th. Hundreds of clubs and providers across England staged events to encourage more women and girls to give football a go.
The club’s ambitions continue to grow, perfectly aligning with The FA’s commitment to unlocking equal opportunities for women and girls in football. Plans to introduce Wildcats sessions for the youngest girls and further expand their offering throughout all age groups demonstrate how initial National Lottery investment has created sustainable, ongoing benefits for the community.
