International Day of the Girl exists to recognise the potential of girls worldwide and to highlight the challenges they face.
On Thursday 10th October 2024, Girls United FA (GU), a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering girls through football, hosted their annual Primary School football event for girls in partnership with Dulwich College.
9 Primary Schools (creating 10 teams) from the South London community came together to celebrate the day by playing exciting on pitch fixtures, discussing what makes them confident and celebrating their own confidence. Over 90 girls took part in the day, and a total of 55 games took place on the excellent playing facility at Dulwich College.
Turnham Academy took the team title with an impressive 26 points but were taken to the last game where they faced an impressive Granton team (who finished 2nd with 21 points). This event provided the opportunity for girls who may not play in regular competitions to experience a positive space and test their skills against other Girls United partners.
Each team nominated a confident individual to win a bespoke Girls United prize which could capture their ability to try new things and push themselves beyond their comfort zones.
Abigail Ingram, GU London manager, reflected: “It was an incredible day where the local community celebrated our inspiring young girls and gave them the opportunity to strive and succeed on and off the pitch.
Our Primary school programme is really influential in our ability to support more girls to become active, to have access to football and to truly fall in love with football. Event days like this really demonstrate the coaches and school staff’s weekly commitment to encourage and support girls to fall in love with sport and be confident to be active. We are so grateful for Dulwich College’s continued support with our events and providing incredible access to facilities to inspire our local community.”
Mr. Whitehead, Dulwich College Head of Sports Partnerships & Head of Football: “It was wonderful to be able to host the Girls United - Love The Game: International Day of the Girl Event. Welcoming girls from local primary schools and assisting Girls United to provide more opportunities for them to be more active and have access to sport and football in particular, is always a pleasure. It is fantastic to be able to play a small part in the amazing event and it was lovely seeing so much enjoyment from the players throughout the day.”
Christopher Barber, Turnham Academy Teacher: “Turnham Academy were lucky enough to be invited to the Love The Game: International Day of The Girl Event organised by Girls United and hosted by Dulwich College. It was an excellent day and a fitting way to celebrate International Day of The Girl. I was so proud of the Turnham team as they were able to put into practise so many of the skills and values that are taught during our Girls United sessions. Some of the players have been a part of the programme since Year 3 and it is amazing to see how their confidence has grown and how they have developed their skills during this time. This comes from having the safe space that Girls United provides them with.”
Partners - Girls United would like to thank everyone involved in supporting and delivering the annual Love The Game x International Day of the Girl Event:
Dulwich College
Nike
Morrisons - Peckham
