Lionesses Inspire £30m Investment
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Football Association (FA) have announced a £30m fund for grassroots football in England.
The Lionesses Futures Fund, which has been inspired by the England’s women’s side’s recent success, is set to provide 30 new 3G pitches and facilities prioritising women’s and girls’ teams across England.
The UK Government will contribute £25m with the FA adding an extra £5m.
Following the Lionesses reaching the FIFA World Cup final in August and winning the European Championships a year earlier, female participation in football has grown significantly.
The new find will provide women’s and girls’ only evenings and priority booking options for women’s and girls’ teams will be introduced at all the new sites, alongside dedicated female changing rooms, shower facilities and accessible toilets.
When announcing the fund, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, said, “During the World Cup I said that we would do everything possible to support women’s and girls’ football.”
“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.”
The new comes a year after England’s Lionesses 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.
A review into the future of domestic women’s football was also commissioned. Conducted by former England international Karen Carney, the report will published in the coming weeks.
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