The Football Association and The EFL Trust, have partnered to provide an increased opportunity for girls across the country to play football through the Weetabix Wildcats programme. The partnership aims to inspire over 1,600 girls to take up football in their local community through Weetabix Wildcat sessions delivered by 34 EFL Club Community Organisations (CCOs) from across England. Each of the 34 CCOs will launch three Wildcats Centres in their local area with an aim to increase girl’s participation from under-represented groups, including those living in areas of high deprivation and from Black and Asian backgrounds.

The EFL Trust is the charitable arm of the EFL and was established in 2008 to oversee the work of EFL club community organisations, such as Brentford FC Community Sports Trust. It is responsible for distributing core funding from the Premier League and The PFA to each CCO and highlights community work done by clubs across the country. Our Trust has worked with the EFL Trust for more than a decade and many projects are still ongoing.

Weetabix Wildcats helps girls aged 5-11 get involved with football for the first time with others their own age. The programme gives girls the opportunity to play football in a fun and friendly environment, providing the perfect setting for youngsters to stay active, build confidence, and meet new friends. Our Trust has delivered Wildcats sessions in our local area.

Louise Gear, The FA’s Head of Football Development, said: “As stated in our Women’s and Girls’ strategy Inspiring Positive Change, by 2024, we want girls to have equal access to football, so we’re delighted to be announcing this partnership with The EFL Trust, which will make a huge difference to young girls around the country. Working with the EFL Trust will allow us to grow our Weetabix Wildcat programme and help support this ambition with a particular focus on engaging girls from historically underrepresented communities.”

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