Bright Futures leads the way in promoting girls’ and women’s football

Bright Futures Executive Leader Lisa Fathers, has been invited to be part of a new task force launched in Greater Manchester to promote girls’ and women’s football across the city-region.

The new group has been set up to develop girls’ and women’s football at all levels, from increasing participation at a grassroots level to supporting teams in the FA Women’s Football pyramid.

The Greater Manchester Women’s Football Board (GMWFB) will play an active role in supporting the game and developing players, identifying partnerships and funding opportunities, and making recommendations on future facility plans across Greater Manchester.

Board members, including Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, and Baroness Sue Campbell, Director of Women’s Football at The Football Association (FA), will meet three times a year, with the first session having taken place a few days before the first match kicks off in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 between England and Austria, at Old Trafford.

Lisa Fathers commented: “I am so proud to be part of the first-ever Great Manchester Women’s Football Board representing Bright Futures and all schools in Greater Manchester. We want to ensure that girls in our schools have equal access to not only playing football but also careers in the sport. Some of our work is about performance football but also football for: fun, fitness, and friendship.

“At Bright Futures we have our Girls’ Football Super Hub too, we know the power of sport in both bringing people together and on wellbeing. We are delighted to be helping to shape the ambitious aspirations for girls and women in the city-region.”

As a Girls’ Football Super Hub, Bright Futures works closely with The FA and the Youth Sport Trust to pave the way for the next ‘Lionesses’ to take to the pitch. Collaborating to create a 21st century modern curriculum for girls, enabling them to access and engage in football and really improving the uptake of girls’ football. The Trust works with PE leads across the region to further develop the school workforce with CPD on football.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) will act as the secretariat for the GMWFB, and the Board will report to the GMCA and The FA.

Here are some of our amazing girls’ football teams from across the Trust: