Girls United won the Tampox Tax grant allowing us to create “Trailblazer” programmes across 5 new venues in partnership with Fulham Football Club. These are active workshops around life skills and personal development for girls in South London.
We interviewed Matt Weller, the Senior Schools Officer with Fulham FC Foundation, on the partnership.
What is your interest in female football? I have been interested and involved within female football since I was 16. I began working within female football by running weekly drop in sessions at my local grassroots club, who had just put me through my coaching badges. The session was the first Female only session at the club. Every season since then I have been working with a Female Football team as well as delivering weekly satellite sessions.
Why did you partner with Girls United on the Trailblazer programme? As part of FFCF strategic aims to increase female pathway provision we felt it was key to partner with Girls United. Not only do they have fantastic staff but they also have a brilliant programme (Trailblaze) which aims to support young females within a Primary Education setting to provide them with the opportunities to experience football competitions in a safe environment. I think the main reason why we decided to partner with Girls United was not only do they offer the weekly football competition but they provided educational workshops & challenges which we felt we could support this within our Premier League Primary Stars Programme.
What to date has been an outcome you have enjoyed seeing, being part of or surprised you? For me personally the outcome I have enjoyed seeing has been seeing the young participants being inspired to turn up every week especially after some weeks when dealing with rain, snow & wind. Their commitment to the programme has been brilliant.
Why the league was needed in the community from your view as the partnerships manager and brixton learning collaborative and Fulham FC Foundation? The league was in our opinion needed as we wanted to support the local need for further female primary school provision within the local community. This has enabled us to have an opportunity to build relationships with the new schools as well as BPT, Girls United, Brixton & Oval Learning.
How do you think it may differ from other football provision / if you think it does? The provision we collectively provide is different from any other league I have seen delivered previously. Our provision combines, regular football competition with value based workshops that enables the participants to be their own leader and play small games which they can take back to their school to run themselves. This provision enables the female participants to be the leader’s which they may not get that opportunity when in the school environment.
Where do you think this partnership can lead us? I hope our next steps see’s us being able to run a yearlong provision that looks to not only focus on Y5&6 participants but extend this to younger participants within the school.
Do you believe it has increased female visibility within football - if so how? Why do you find this important? I believe this unique programme has increased female visibility within football, as not only has this relationship led to this tournament being run during school time, but we have been able to increase the female provision FFCF delivers at Black Princes Trust in partnership with Girls United.