Former England player Karen Carney has partnered with Adobe and Bloomsbury Football Foundation to launch Kick & Create – girls-only football camps combining on-pitch coaching with creative workshops.
The camps will empower young girls to become the future of the women’s game on and off the pitch, by combining football coaching with creative workshops to give them the ability to create and communicate using Adobe Express, the quick and easy create anything AI app. The hands-on workshops will teach young girls how to create videos and design posters, football shirts and much more, helping them express ideas faster and more clearly.
These are the skills that will define the future workforce and determine who thrives in it. Open to girls across London, the Kick & Create camps will take place in the London Boroughs of Camden and Islington during the school holidays, for two years, and will be heavily subsidised to provide financial relief to parents who need it most.
As part of the partnership, former England and Arsenal footballer Karen Carney has teamed up with young people from the Bloomsbury Football Foundation to design the official Adobe Mascot for the Adobe Women’s FA Cup Final. Also launching today, the Adobe Fan Made competition invites the public to submit patterns using Adobe Express, with one winning entry being featured in the kit unveiled at the Final and worn by the Mascot and Bloomsbury Football Foundation player escorts. For every design submitted, Adobe will donate £10 to Bloomsbury Football Foundation, funding additional camp places, making the programme more accessible to more young girls.
According to new Adobe research, 88% of UK parents feel real pressure to find safe, structured activities for their daughters during school holidays, with the main barriers including cost (43%), lack of availability (22%), and distance from home (22%).
While the success of the Lionesses has caused interest in the women’s game to surge in recent years, the research also found that almost half (48%) of girls say watching women’s football has increased their interest in playing. When creative elements – such as kit design, video creation, and mascot design – are part of the programme, girls’ interest in attending camps increases threefold (64%). However, while 65% of parents would sign their sons up for a football holiday camp, only 47% would do the same for their daughters.
Karen Carney said: “I was once the only girl at my football camp. It was tough. That’s why I know how much it matters to have a space that genuinely feels like it was made for you. These camps do that. They take two things that many young girls love, kicking about a football and being creative, bringing them together in one safe place for girls to express themselves and have fun.”
Simon Morris, Vice President, International Marketing at Adobe said: “Creativity is in all of us and football is part of the fabric of British culture. Bringing those two things together is what sets this initiative apart. We want to make sure that girls can see the impact they can make in all areas of football, both on the pitch, and in every creative role that surrounds it.”
Charlie Hyman, Founder and CEO of Bloomsbury Football Foundation said: “At Bloomsbury, we see every day how having access to football builds confidence, life skills, and a sense of belonging for young girls. By bringing Adobe’s creative expertise into our camps, we’re building something special – helping girls grow their imagination and creativity alongside their skills on and off the pitch. Our partnership will advance our mission to transform lives through the magic of football. These camps send a simple but powerful message: girls belong in football, and their creativity matters. We’re now able to give even more young people the opportunity and the inspiration to thrive in life.”
Full details about the Adobe Fan Made competition and how to enter can be found here.
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