Swindon Town

OVER 30,000 women and girls have starting playing football in the past two year with their local Football League club a report reveals this week.

The Football League Trusts Female Football Development programme (FFD) is run by 55 clubs across the country and aims to get women and girls playing the game. Perhaps more importantly the figures also reveal that over 97% of the women and girls who have been introduced to football have continued to be involved.

Nicol Meredith, Female Football Officer with The Football League Trust, comments, “Getting so many girls involved in the programme that are new to football and the massive retention rates shows the power that football clubs have in their communities. The programme focuses on having fun as well as the social and health benefits of playing football. This innovative approach has led to football clubs running brand new activities that appeal to girls who wouldn’t normally be interested in football such as Soccercise and Zumba Fitness Football, which are football based aerobics sessions. ”

Shane Hewlett Female Development Officer for the STFC Football in the Community said: "It's been amazing and we have had over 400 girls attend free football sessions across Wilshire in the last two years. We have just launched a new class for women aged 16 and upwards called Soccersize which is football and aerobics combined. This starts at the Highworth Recreational Centre on November 5th."

The programme is funded by The FA and Sport England and was launched in 2013 to get women and girls aged 14 and over to start, and continue, playing football using the reach Football League Trusts and Premier League to deliver at grassroots. This is the first time that all four organisations have worked on a project of this kind.  It was announced over the summer that due to the success of the first two years of the scheme more than £3,700,000 of joint FA and Sport England investment will be allocated to the

If you are a Wiltshire school, Female Football club or a business that you feel can benefit from th FFD Female Programme then please contact shane@stfc-fitc.co,uk for more info.

Read more at http://www.football-league.co.uk/news/article/2015/female-football-participation-passes-30000-2706439.aspx#RxTe5M2HasQ6FKJX.99