Bloomsbury launches Women’s Coaching Pathway

Girls who play football are happier, less anxious and less lonely than those who don’t. Yet participation among girls sits at a third of the rate of boys – and a key driver of that gap is who’s on the touchline. 

Our survey of over 1,000 13- to 18-year-old girls across the UK found that only 1 in 5 has access to a trusted adult outside their own family. Girls are also more likely to play, and stay in the game, when they have a coach who shares their gender – and the longer they stay, the more they experience the benefits that the magic of football can bring. 

That’s why Bloomsbury Football Foundation has launched Her Game Needs You, a campaign to put more trusted women on the touchline for girls across our programmes, through our new Women’s Coaching Pathway. It’s spearheaded by our Brand Ambassador, Gabby Logan.

The pathway is intentionally built for women who want to make a real difference in young people’s lives. Our first cohort of 20 women coaches will receive: 

• Paid coaching hours across our programmes 

• One-to-one mentorship from experienced women in the game 

• Funded CPD and development 

• A community of women who understand how football can tackle some of the biggest challenges facing young people today 

It’s a scalable, evidence-led intervention: retain one coach, and dozens more girls stay in the game – gaining access to a trusted adult, and to the health, wellbeing and social benefits of playing the nation’s game. 

Find out more about the programme here.