On Saturday 11 November 2023, at Copeland Social in Peckham, we celebrated five years of providing accessible football sessions to girls and young women and were joined by former professional player and England International, Rachel Yankey, who took part in a short panel discussion alongside players and coaches from the Girls United community.
Five years on and less than a mile away from Peckham Rye Park where our Founder & CEO Romina Calatayud delivered the first Girls United London session to a handful of players, we brought our community of players, parents, coaches and staff together to celebrate this milestone.
With over 1,000 participants engaged over the course of the last 12 months, our London project has continued to grow and measured a sharp increase in participation levels following the incredible Lioness success at the European Championships in 2022 and more recently at the Women’s World Cup in 2023.
This event sought to highlight the individuals that have marked the Girls United London journey through a photographic portrait series captured and curated by part-time Girls United coach and professional photographer Lucien Phoenix.
In addition to this exhibition, two panel discussions were mediated by guest-host, professional presenter and television personality Priscilla Anyabu. The first of these exploring the positive impact that football can have on a young person’s life on and off the pitch, involving U14 participants Kenza, Sasha and Lolly.
A second panel discussion took a deep dive into the importance of grassroots organisations and the role that they can play in creating safe and inclusive spaces for young people and the wider community. Rachel Yankey drew upon her personal experiences and emphasised the need for more barriers to be broken down across the board to ensure that the future of women’s football is as diverse and inclusive as possible.
As the panel discussions came to a close, attendees were invited to continue to enjoy the portrait exhibition on display as well as the refreshments provided by Copeland Social, with a final flurry of excitement as exclusive items were auctioned including a match worn shirt from Australia International and Ballon d’or nominee Hayley Raso and a pair of boots from fellow Real Madrid star and Girls United Global Ambassador, Caroline Weir.
Speaking at the event, Romina Calatayud said: “This is a very special moment both on a personal level and for the whole Girls United family. It has been a real privilege to see our session delivery grow from one session to over 40 a week and to have had a hand in creating a truly unique community of players, coaches, supporters and parents all focused on providing more opportunities for girls and young women on and off the pitch”
“I am very grateful to everyone that has supported us along the way, including incredible role models like Rachel Yankey and organisations such as Nike who have been instrumental in supporting our growth through our Love the Game partnership as well as building a bridge between the very top of the sport and the grassroots.”
