When Keira Walsh stands on the pitch at a Lionesses match, she's not just playing football—she's inviting an entire generation of girls to follow her footsteps. Now, Sport England is putting £3 million of National Lottery funding behind that invitation through the Lionesses HERe to Play Fund, a bold attempt to transform women and girls' football from the grassroots up.
The numbers tell a remarkable story. In just four years, the number of women and girls playing football in England has surged by 56%, and the FA's women and girls' football strategy shows that audience interest in the sport has doubled over the same period. Nearly 300,000 women now play football every month, making it the most popular team sport for women in the country. That explosive growth didn't happen by accident—it was ignited by the Lionesses' back-to-back UEFA Women's Euros victories, and now Sport England, the Premier League, The FA, and the Government's Football Foundation are determined to keep that momentum alive.
"The Lionesses' legacy continues to roar with women and girls' football growing at pace," said Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Sport England's executive director of partnerships and place. But legacy only matters if it's built on solid ground, which is where the HERe to Play Fund comes in.
The fund operates on two tiers, designed to meet clubs and organisations where they are. Those launching recreational football through England Football Programmes like Wildcats, Comets, or Squad will receive £500 to get started. Clubs ready to field a new affiliated women's or girls' team in the 2026–27 season can access £1,500. Opening between May and September each year, the money covers the essentials: facility hire, kit and equipment, promotion, affiliation and league fees, referee costs, insurance, and coach and volunteer training. It's a practical toolkit for turning enthusiasm into infrastructure.
There's more. For clubs aiming to improve accessibility year-round, the fund provides up to £25,000 for facility improvements—installing exterior lighting, adding sanitary bins to changing rooms, fitting hairdryers. These aren't glamorous details, but they're transformative ones. They signal to young girls that football spaces were built with them in mind, not adapted as an afterthought.
The Lionesses themselves understand what's at stake. "Grassroots matters because that's where everybody starts playing," Walsh said in a statement for the fund. "Every single Lioness started at grassroots level. It's where everybody falls in love with football." Lotte Wubben-Moy echoed that conviction, noting that when she was younger, girls lacked the kit and resources now being made available. "This will be a gamechanger for the number of girls participating in football in the future," she said.
Robert Sullivan, the FA's CEO, framed the funding as foundational work. "At this vital moment in the growth of the game, this injection of funding will lay the groundwork for women and girls across the country to ensure they have the set up they need to unlock their potential on the pitch."
What's striking about the HERe to Play Fund is its dual focus: immediate grassroots support paired with long-term facility investment. It's not betting on momentum alone. It's building the infrastructure to catch every girl who's inspired to play, and giving her a place where she feels welcome, equipped, and ready to stay.