As England prepares for Sunday’s UEFA Women’s EURO final, the surge in support for the national team is certainly inspiring a new wave of girls to give football a go.
With visibility of the women’s game at an all-time high, McDonald’s Fun Football are helping to turn that inspiration into action (with their recently launch partnership with Girlguiding) and making it easier than ever for girls to take their first steps into the sport. Having seen a surge in uptake just this week, in line with the sign-ups for September going live.
Recent research conducted by McDonald’s, shows that 61% of parents think international tournaments directly influence the interest from young girls to explore or take up football. While the nation celebrates the success of the England team, the stats show there is still work to be done. Around 52% of parents believe gender stereotypes continue to hold girls back from joining football sessions. But 85% say their daughter’s involvement in the sport has had a positive effect on her wellbeing and personal development.
Fun Football ambassador & Lioness Beth Mead said: “Knowing that girls are being inspired to give football a go while we’re out here playing is incredibly special. Seeing so many young girls getting the chance to try football for the first time through McDonald’s Fun Football shows how far the women’s game has come. It’s about more than just football, it’s about giving girls confidence, an inspiration and the chance to dream big.”
At Fun Football, sessions are delivered by FA-qualified coaches at over 1,600 locations nationwide, with around 85% based in lower-socioeconomic areas to ensure access for families in underserved communities.
Every session is designed to be fun, inclusive and pressure free, helping kids build confidence, develop new skills and enjoy football regardless of experience. The initiative also includes enhanced coach training to better support children with disabilities, including pan-disability, deaf and visually impaired players, with the goal of making sure no child is left on the sidelines.
With their Girlguiding partnership – every young girl attending through the network, will earn a special-edition Fun Football badge, co-designed to celebrate their involvement on the pitch. To sign up for the second wave of sessions in September, head to: mcdonaldsfunfootball.co.uk/funfootball **Make sure you select Girlguiding in the ‘how did hear about us’ section.
