Lionesses campaign pays off as girls granted equal access to sport | UK News

After winning Euro 2022 last summer, the Lionesses penned an open letter to the then Conservative leadership candidates, urging them to ensure young girls have access to football at school.

Girls are given equal access to all school sports as part of a package of measures unveiled by the government following a campaign by Lionesses.

Schools are told that they must offer at least two hours of sport each week and that girls and boys should be able to play the same sports in the classroom and in extracurricular clubs.

It comes after England’s Lionesses squad launched a campaign calling on the Government to take action to ensure all girls are given a chance to play football at school after they graduate Winning Euro 2022 last summer.

England women’s captain Leah Williamson said: “The success of the summer has inspired so many young girls to pursue their passion for football.

“We see it as our responsibility to open the doors to them and this announcement makes that possible. This is the legacy we as a team want to live on much longer than we do.”

The announcement comes just over six months after the government was accused of jeopardizing the Lionesses’ legacy by overseeing the ongoing sell-off of school sports fields.

Liberal Democrat data showed that 94 schools had sold their pitches since January 2015, although some have been replaced with indoor sports facilities.

The move presented by the government coincides with International Women’s Day.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Last year the Lionesses’ win changed the game. Young girls know when they step out onto the pitch that football is for them and thanks to the Lionesses they too could be part of the next generation and home for their country.”

Continue reading:
Lionesses qualify for the 2023 World Cup
Lionesses are pushing for more athletic opportunities for girls

The Government said the measures would be backed with over £600million in funding over the next two school years, specifically aimed at improving the quality of sport and physical education in primary schools.

Following their 2-1 win over Germany last summer, the Lionesses called on then-Conservative frontrunners Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to ensure young girls have access and support to play football at school.

In an open letter co-signed by all members of the squad, they wrote that women’s football “has come a long way but still has a long way to go”.