Ahead of England’s first match at UEFA Women’s EURO 2025, Lionesses legends Nikita Parris and Fara Williams joined a special Big Football Day event in Newham, East London.
The day saw hundreds of grassroots players and members of the local community come together for a celebration which included a range of fun football activities – from taster sessions for women and girls, to face painting, craft workshops and a watch party for the England v France game.
Big Football Day, powered by The National Lottery, event is part of a national movement happening at clubs across England – encouraging more girls to try football for the first time.
Parris told englandfootball.com: It was amazing to come down to the Big Football Day event in London and see the impact first hand. The growth of the game wouldn’t have been possible without the investment from The National Lottery which was really important for me on my journey to playing for England and will continue to be for the generation who come after me.”
Alice Kempski, National Development Manager at The FA, said: “Big Football Day is all about getting grassroots clubs to open their doors to more women and girls to inspire them to get involved with football. It’s using the power of the Lionesses to drive an impact at a local level, creating long-lasting opportunities for women and girls to play. We have hundreds of clubs already engaged already but we want to see even more sign up and get involved.”
The FA’s Big Football Day, powered by The National Lottery, is a celebration inviting women and girls to discover the joy, confidence and community of football. Thanks to over £6 billion invested into grassroots sport by National Lottery players, the game is growing stronger from the ground up. For more info visit: englandfootball.com/bigfootballday