Danielle Carter becomes Girls United London Ambassador

As 2023 comes to a close, we’re delighted to announce Danielle Carter, current London City Lionesses striker and former England international, as Ambassador of our London activities!

In this capacity, Danielle will serve as role model for all of our participants including girls and young women from inner city communities, where improved access to football is urgently needed. 

Danielle has long been an advocate for the wider women’s game and for the need for more opportunities to be made available to the next generation of players, particularly inner city girls and young women. Working with global movement, Common Goal, Danielle identified Girls United as the perfect organisation to support in doing just that and continuing to give back to the London community. 

Growing up in East London, Danielle began her footballing journey at the Leyton Orient centre of excellence where her talent earned her a call up to the England U17s squad aged only 14, marking her debut with a hattrick, a feat she would replicate seven years later with another hattrick against Estonia on her full England debut in 2015.

In 2009, whilst still in sixth form in Romford, Danielle realised a childhood dream by joining Arsenal Women. From there her career went from strength to strength, helping the North London Club to secure the inaugural Women’s Super League title in 2010/11, scoring in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and in a 1-0 FA Cup Final win over Chelsea in 2016.

After recovering from two serious ACL injuries, Danielle joined Reading in 2020 and became the first player that Brighton ever paid a fee for when she joined the Seagulls the following year. In 2023, Danielle returned to the capital joining London City Lionesses who compete in the Women’s Championship and who on Sunday came back from 3-0 down away to London rivals Watford to draw 3-3. 

Last week we welcomed Danielle to a U16 training session at Alleyn’s school in South London, where she spent time with our players and answered questions that they had about her journey, her Arsenal days and playing for England. 

During this visit Danielle also took part in a short interview with Romina in which she said: “I’m happy to be an ambassador for Girls United and can’t wait to support the great work you have been doing in empowering young women both in London and Mexico.

“Shining light on the work organisations like Girls United do is something I’m passionate about, as I hope we can collectively provide a platform and forum for inner city communities to participate and thrive in the game we love!”

Also present at the U16s session, our Founder & CEO, Romina Calatayud, added: “Danielle is the perfect role model for our players across each of our London programmes. Having enjoyed an incredible career so far, but more importantly having grown up in London herself, Danielle knows all too well the kind of barriers that can stand between a player and regular opportunities to play.

“We’re very excited to work with Danielle and be the bridge between the top of the women’s game and our grassroots programmes. With so much of our work being focused on improving access and representation, particularly for participants from inner city communities, having the support of such a strong leader in Danielle will make such a big difference.”

This announcement comes as one of the final highlights of the Girls United Advent Calendar 2023, the first of its kind and an opportunity for us to look back at some of the key moments of the journey so far. 

With over 1,000 participants engaged in South London over the course of the last 12 months, we have 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.

Working closely with Danielle and Common Goal, we are committed to levelling the playing field and pushing for increased access to football for girls and young women, in schools, local communities and performance pathways.

For more information about Danielle’s involvement or the wider Ambassador programme, please contact Josh@girlsunitedfa.org

Girls United Global Ambassadors, Real Madrid’s Caroline Weir and Club America’s Monica Rodriguez, meet in pre-season friendly

On Sunday 3 September, Club America hosted Real Madrid at the iconic Azteca stadium as part of the Spanish side’s pre-season tour in Mexico. The game was particularly special for non-profit Girls United as it involved two of their Global Ambassadors, Caroline Weir and Monica Rodriguez. This is the first time that Weir and Rodriguez have played against each other with the Mexico international coming out on top on this occasion as the game finished 3-2 with a win for Club America.

Weir has been a Girls United Ambassador since 2020 and has previously visited programmes in London as well as Quintana Roo in Mexico. Rodriguez is the latest addition to Girls United’s growing network of Global Ambassadors, becoming the organisation’s first Mexico based Ambassador just days before this fixture, 31 August 2023.

Leading up to this announcement, on Tuesday 29 August 2023, Rodriguez welcomed 70 members of the Girls United Iztapalapa, Mexico City community at Club America's friendly against UEFA Champions League Winners FC Barcelona. Two Girls United players were even given the once in a lifetime opportunity of walking out onto the pitch with the teams as mascots. Rodriguez also arranged for another group of players from Quintana Roo to take part in a very special training session at the Club America facilities on Friday 1 September.

This group of 8 players and 4 coaches from Quintana Roo were invited to the capital by Weir to attend the fixture between Real Madrid and Club America at the Azteca Stadium. Having met the group during her visit to South Mexico in 2022 and knowing that for many this would be the first time they had travelled to Mexico City and their first experience of a professional game, Weir made sure to hand out the tickets in person during a meet and greet at the Real Madrid team hotel the day before the fixture, Saturday 2 September 2023. 

Speaking on meeting Rodriguez, Weir said: “Having Monica join as Global Ambassador is fantastic and will be such a boost to the Girls United communities in Mexico. After the game we spoke about how strongly we feel about giving back and trying to be positive role models for the next generation of girls and women. Whether it’s Scotland or Mexico, our journeys are very similar, there was a real lack of visibility and opportunities for girls, so we’re excited to be part of Girls United and driving change. “

Rodriguez added: "I am grateful for the opportunity to meet Caroline and that together through Girls United we can work to continue to inspire more girls to fulfil their dreams, so that they see in us an example that they can be fulfilled. Each of us in our own way can continue to pave the way for them, who are the future, to have more possibilities to grow through the values involved in sport.”

Girls United Founder & CEO, Romina Calatayud, added: “It was quite surreal having two Girls United ambassadors playing against each other at the Azteca Stadium with the next generation of players watching on from the stands. It was a proud moment and an incredibly energising one too. Hearing Monica and Caroline speak about their journeys and shared experiences reminded me exactly why we do what we do and the work that remains to be done.”

Alongside Weir and Rodriguez, Vero Boquete, former Spain captain and current Fiorentina player, is also a Girls United Global Ambassador using her platform and experiences to support the non-profit and its community. 

Club America’s Monica Rodriguez becomes Girls United Global Ambassador

In a week that Club America host Champions League winners FC Barcelona and their bitter rivals Real Madrid at the iconic Azteca stadium, Mexican international and mainstay of the Liga MX Femenil champions’ defence, Monica Rodriguez is officially announced as Girls United’s latest Global Ambassador. 

Rodriguez became aware of Girls United earlier this year as sessions were launched in Mexico City neighborhood Iztapalapa and was immediately eager to support the non-profit. As participation levels in the Mexican capital continue to grow, with already over 50 players, the arrival of Rodriguez as Global Ambassador will help to inspire even more girls and young women to start their footballing journey. 

Rodriguez's career began playing with men in Cuautla, Morelos. She played track and field and football at the same time. Despite winning medals at national level in track and field, she decided to take up football. Her last amateur team was Leonas de Morelos. 

Growing up without female role models in the world of football only made her rise to success all the more impressive. 

Rodriguez’s motivations for linking up with Girls United are a direct result of her own experiences and her willingness to not only be a role model for the next generation of players, but also ensure that there are clear pathways for them to pursue their dreams and ambitions.

Rodriguez has already visited the Girls United session in Iztapalapa and to mark her official onboarding as ambassador, the Club America defender invited over 70 members of the Girls United community to attend the friendly against Barcelona at the Azteca Stadium on Tuesday 29 September. For many this was their first time seeing a professional game live, with two participants even getting the once in a lifetime chance to be mascots and walk out onto the pitch with the teams. 

Speaking about the announcement, Rodriguez said: "I am very excited to join Girls United as a Global Ambassador, it is a proud moment and something I have been looking forward to since the moment I first heard about the organisation. Their work and goals are exactly what I want to support, with a real focus on the positive impact that football can have on girls and young women on and off the pitch. 

"Growing up I would have loved to have been involved in training specifically for girls, it is so important to me to ensure that there are more opportunities to access football in a fun and safe environment. Girls United does exactly that and I am very excited to see what I can bring to this partnership. The fact that the girls have been coming to our games and visiting the training ground has been very inspiring."

Girls United Founder & CEO, Romina Calatayud, added: “With the professional game in Mexico growing so quickly, it’s vital that the grassroots are part of the conversation and supported in order to ensure the sustainability of the women’s game. Monica has been very vocal about supporting the next generation of players and giving back, so we can’t wait to help her do just that.”

“Monica is exactly what we’re looking for in an ambassador, she is a great role model for our players and has already provided them with some unforgettable moments. From the moment we started discussing the possibility of her joining Girls United we were so pleased with how aligned her goals were with our own and how she was able to draw from her own experiences to interact and inspire our players.”