Palace for Life Foundation joins thirteen professional clubs to get girls active across the capital
Palace for Life Foundation has joined thirteen professional football clubs to tackle physical inactivity of girls in disadvantaged areas across London. Funded by The London Marathon Charitable Trust (The Trust), Palace for Life Foundation will join the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Brentford to encourage 5,000 inactive girls and young women to participate in football and physical activity sessions. Alongside investment from the Premier League Charitable Fund (PLCF), The London Marathon Charitable Trust have awarded £820,000 to London United, a conglomerate of fourteen professional football clubs that tackles social challenges in the capital.
With rising levels of youth violence increasingly affecting girls and young women, the project – called Kicks Girls – aims to offer a safe space for teenagers to enjoy sport. Along with physical activity sessions, the project will also offer a series of educational workshops and qualifications for teenage girls living in London.
The Foundation will be running sessions in local schools and community venues across south London, providing free access to activities ranging from football to cheerleading and trampolining.
Roxanne Bennett, Community Sports Manager at Palace for Life Foundation, said: “We are really excited to be joining the other clubs from London United to collaborate with The Trust to use the power of football to get more girls and women physically active. The range of activities we offer at the Foundation means we have something for everyone, from total beginners to those who are looking to develop their skills and progress in the game.”
Sarah Ridley, Chief Grants Officer of The London Marathon Charitable Trust, added: “We are delighted to have awarded £820,000 towards this terrific project, which is synonymous with The Trust’s vision to inspire activity. Our mission is to enable people to become and remain physically active regardless of gender or background. We’re passionate about getting more women involved in a wide range of physical activity and look forward to seeing the positive impact this programme will have on girls across London over the coming years.”
With a multitude of Premier League and EFL clubs in London taking part in the initiative, the project will utilise the clubs’ female players to inspire thousands of girls to enjoy physical activity. So far this season, Palace Women’s players have visited a range of projects with the Foundation, inspiring hundreds of local girls to lead healthy lives and enjoy sport.
To help tackle period poverty and the anxiety of girls taking part in physical activity during their periods, the Trust will provide a selection of free sanitary products at every session.
Find out more about our women and girls sessions here.