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60 girls from South London participated in a collaborative Play Like a Girl Session to celebrate International Women’s Day.
On Saturday 8th March 2025, Girls United hosted our second International Women’s Day Youth Festival in partnership with Alleyn’s School.
The day saw 60 girls, aged 5-12 years old, take part in the Girls United Play Like a Girl (PLG) session. The players had the opportunity to play in a free and accessible session for 1.5 hours, before celebrating each other with prizes. Our partners, Alleyn’s school, continued the celebration by inviting local schools and grassroots clubs in a festival for girls aged 12+.
The PLG session was specifically designed by coaches to bring together football and life skills, encouraging determination whilst celebrating women. At the end of the session, individuals were highlighted from each group for showing inspiring qualities and rewarded with our partners’ kind donations, providing inspiration for future play.
We are dedicated to making football more accessible and inclusive. With the support of partners such as London Football and Alleyn’s School, there has been more participation in social football at Girls United during the 24/25 season compared to any other season!
A parent of Girls United player Matilda Tipper, who attended the event, told us:
“So positive and uplifting for the girls and us parents to see – many of us spoke afterwards about the values being championed by the coaches. The girls feel welcome. I know some of them who never thought they’d feel like that in football, or who were made to feel unwelcome in other classes. We’re so grateful to have this in our lives!!!”
Lee Webb, our PLG Programme Lead, said:
“What a morning! Seeing so many girls in one space playing social football is the stuff dreams are made of. There really is a place for everyone. We saw girls from across all 3 Girls United programmes, plus girls who had never interacted with us before. The sessions were all about getting the girls to interact with new people and making sure everyone felt included. Being able to deliver our sessions in front of partners and parents felt like a real moment of success as it gave them some real insight into what we do and how we do it. How we provide sessions for girls of all abilities. How we make football not about winning and losing but more about social learning. We just want as many girls playing football as possible.”
Alleyn’s Director of Football, Ollie Beauchampow, reflected:
"It was incredible to welcome over 230 girls to Alleyn's for a fun filled festival of football to mark International Women's Day! This event is a celebration of the long standing, and close relationship we have with Girls United. I want to thank Allana Francis Ashmeil (The FA Regional Talent Manager) and Jess King (The FA Regional Talent ID Coach), who attended this event to cast their eyes over the next generation of Lionesses! It was inspiring to see the number of girls involved, but also the amount of quality of football on show."
Chloe Cospey, London FA’s Women and Girls Recreational Programmes Officer, said:
“London FA is delighted to support Girls United in celebrating International Women’s Day, reinforcing our shared commitment to empowering young girls to play football and ensuring they have access to equal opportunities to thrive in sport and beyond. It’s inspiring to see initiatives like this creating lasting impact, and we’re proud to play a part in fostering inclusivity and opportunity for the next generation.”
Partners - Girls United would like to thank everyone involved in supporting and delivering this open and accessible session:
Alleyn’s School
London Football
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