Boxing hero Lauren Price praises Lottery’s impact

But Lauren’s sporting journey began in football, where she dreamed of emulating Thierry Henry. However, her early steps into the game in the mid 2000’s were very different from those experienced by the majority of girls in Wales today. There were far fewer opportunities for girls to play football 20 years ago, as Lauren explains: 

“I joined a team full of boys at Fleur-de-Lys where I was the only girl. It’s crazy to see how much has changed since then. Speaking to the coaches here today at Caerphilly Dragons, it was amazing to hear that they have more than 300 girls on their books, all enjoying a chance to play and have fun.” 

A £2,500 Lottery grant was awarded to the Dragons by Sport Wales earlier this year so that more volunteers could complete Football Association of Wales (FAW) courses required to become coaches, enabling the club to expand.

But the growth of the women and girls’ game is being supported by so much more than grants to individual clubs. Thanks to players of the National Lottery, Sport Wales is able to invest in innovative national governing bodies, national partners and local authorities. This year alone, Sport Wales distributed £10,247,475 of National Lottery money to partners including the FAW.

Continued lottery funding into the female pathway and performance programmes, from girls’ academies through to the women’s national team has supported the FAW to quadruple the investment into all levels of the Women & Girls’ game over the past four years, as Cymru bid to qualify for their first major tournament – the UEFA Women’s Euros 2025.

Another valued Sport Wales partner is StreetGames, an organisation which works with local organisations in under-served communities to transform young lives through Doorstep Sport thanks to National Lottery funding.

Typically, research shows that girls from under-served communities have limited access to opportunities compared to their male counterparts and peers from wealthier backgrounds. As a result, their enthusiasm for sports and physical activity is often lower.

During her visit to the VGA Gymnastics Club, Lauren heard how volunteers from the club are teaming up with StreetGames to run the ‘Us Girls’ programme which aims to increase physical activity among young women and girls aged 13-19. Crucially, the teenage girls have their say on which activities they’d enjoy taking part in, and sessions are provided every Saturday.

Commenting on the programme, Lauren said: “I love how StreetGames are making it easier for more girls to take part in sport and are also giving them a voice.

“It’s really important for girls to get out of the house, be active and socialise with others.

“For me personally, when I got involved in sport as a kid my confidence grew. My schoolwork also improved. You make friends and come out of your comfort zone.”

As you’d expect from her multi-sport background, Lauren is a big advocate of young people trying different sports: “You never know what sports you’re going to enjoy at different points of your life, so it’s best to have a go at different ones and keep your options open. My football background has definitely helped my boxing.”

So, what’s Lauren’s advice for every girl in Wales?

“Find a sport you enjoy. Sport is the best thing in the world to get involved in.”

The National Lottery’s 30th birthday marks a significant milestone. During the last three decades, The National Lottery has invested over £356m into Welsh sport, improving thousands of people’s lives by providing funding for community sport, high performance sport and through the fantastic work of Sport Wales’ partners. Find out how your numbers make amazing things happen.