National Lottery funding gives girls’ football club a kick start

Leeann Bekker, Treasurer of Coity Chiefs recognised that without the National Lottery, the club wouldn’t exist in the way it does today. She said: “When we came to the club, there was no equipment. We had people, but no footballs; we wouldn’t have survived without the National Lottery funding awarded by Sport Wales.

“Inequality still exists in football, so it was really important to us that the club could keep operating. The girls that come feel like they belong here, they can freely express themselves, develop their skills, build friendships and be themselves without the presence of gender related pressures or stereotypes.”

The young girls at Coity Chiefs have female role models everywhere they look around the club.

Their committee is made up of more women than men, and there are both female and male coaches working with all age groups too. For the participants, this type of representation is hugely important.

“It’s amazing for the girls to see that women can do all roles in football, from coaching to refereeing, and also administrative roles like mine – they have to be able to see it to believe it’s an option for them.” Leeann said. 

“It gives the girls something to aspire to. Two of our older members were keen to start coaching, and have been able to get coaching training thanks to National Lottery funding.”

Since they’ve received the funding, the club has attracted even more players, and they are now giving over 130 girls in the area the opportunity to play football each week. 

The improved coaching and equipment means that the girls can enjoy a better quality of play, too, and feel enthusiastic to keep coming back each week.

The club also works with the Football Association of Wales to offer ‘Huddle’ sessions, giving girls as young as four a taste of football in a fun, relaxed environment. 

The Chiefs’ great work hasn’t gone unnoticed. At the most recent FA Wales McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards, Coity Chiefs were awarded Community Club of the Year for everything they’ve done to give girls in Bridgend the opportunity to play.

Leeann credits Sport Wales and the National Lottery for helping the club to win this award, saying: “We can’t quite believe it! It was an extraordinary evening, and we were absolutely beyond thrilled to be recognised at this prestigious event.

“We would not have been there were it not for the National Lottery grant from Sport Wales.”

The National Lottery will be celebrating its 30th birthday on 19 November. Since that first draw was made in 1994, more than £356m of National Lottery funding has been invested into Welsh sport through Sport Wales. 

Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £30 million is raised every week for good causes, including the vital funding which goes into Welsh sport. So, if you have played the National Lottery in the past 30 years, you’ve helped make a difference to the children, communities, coaches, clubs and athletes of Wales.