To coincide with International Day of the Girl, The FA has today launched a new campaign – Let Girls Play – which supports their strategic ambition to give all girls equal access to play football in school by 2024.
Backed by Let Girls Play ambassadors Abi aged 17 and Olivia aged 15, along with Barclays’ ambassador Kelly Smith, MBE, the Let Girls Play campaign will inspire and empower communities and schools to want to help make change, unlocking equal opportunities for girls to participate in the sport.
Only 63% of schools currently offer girls’ football in PE lessons. The FA’s ambition as seen in the women’s and girls’ Inspiring Positive Change strategy is to have 75% of schools providing equal access to football for girls in PE lessons by 2024, and the #LetGirlsPlay campaign supports this ambition by encouraging people to stop, listen and see how they can make a difference to this current challenge. The campaign’s website provides inspiring resources to help influence the start of change and allow more girls to feel the mental and physical benefits of exercise through playing football.
As part of the campaign The FA will be working with a groupof, young women aged 14-18 all passionate about making a difference for girls who want to play football – our ‘Change Squad’. As long-standing powerful advocates, they will use their voices to help change long-held perceptions around the sport.
The FA’s Director of Women’s Football Baroness Sue Campbell said of the campaign: “Momentum is building as next summer’s UEFA Women’s EUROs gets ever closer, but we do not want to wait until then to inspire and empower others to help create equal access to playing football at school. Currently, only a third of girls aged 5-18 participate in football every week, and we want to change that. Now is the time to drive a far-reaching ambition to open up the game in every way to girls and the Let Girls Play campaign allows parents and teachers to play a huge role in joining us in this commitment.”
Former England International and Barclays ambassador Kelly Smith, MBE added: “When Barclays asked me to be part of the #LetGirlsPlay campaign, I couldn’t have been quicker to say yes. The campaign is one that’s very close to my heart and something I am extremely passionate about when it comes to providing equal access to football for young girls. When I started my journey in football, I had no other choice but to play in a local boys’ team and wasn’t offered the opportunity to play football in school during PE lessons. This has progressed hugely over the last few years, and I’m proud to be part of The FA’s #LetGirlsPlay campaign which will really make a difference to the young girls like I was who just want to play football.”
Olivia aged 15 and pioneer for equal access to football for young girls said of the launch “I want every girl to have the opportunity to play football, just like boys. I think The FA’s #LetGirlsPlay campaign is a fantastic way to drive the equal access change and allow girls like me to feel supported, encouraged and given confidence to play football at every possible opportunity.”
To find out more about the campaign and to see how you can help and make a difference to giving girls equal access to football in schools, go to www.englandfootball.com/LetGirlsPlay. To join the movement via social media, follow Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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Through the infrastructure of the Barclays Girls’ Football School Partnerships (BGFSP), The FA and Barclays are influencing key decision makers within schools and supporting and training teachers to make this ambition a reality, with an aim to have 300 BGSP networks by 2024.
About the Barclays GFSP programme
Through the Barclays Girls’ Football School Partnerships the FA’s goal is to build a sustainable infrastructure of schools committed to developing the girls’ game.
The FA’s focus is to help girls become more physically active with improved well-being, increased physical literacy of five to eight year-olds and help all girls develop the confidence and competence to play football at school and in a community setting. The Barclays Girls’ Football School Partnerships network is growing the women’s and girls’ football workforce in schools to sustain the growth of participation levels. It is also helping to make the game more inclusive for all by increasing the number of diverse, SEND and girls from low income families who are participating and enjoying football whilst at school. The Barclays Girls’ Football School Partnerships aim to generate greater collaboration with local football and education providers to create a clear, coherent pathway for girls at a local level to grow and develop in and through football.