Reds in the Community is delighted to announce that it will be running SSE Wildcats Girls’ Football Centres in partnership with the FA.

The sessions will provide regular opportunities for girls aged 5-11 to play football at our indoor centre at Oakwell, beginning on 27 April. During term time, they will run on a weekly basis from 4:30-5:30.

Wildcats’ sessions will be running in a fun and engaging environment which is created exclusively for girls. More than 200 clubs were piloted across England in 2017 and the scheme is now being extended to more than 900 centres with 26,000 participants across the country.

SSE Wildcats Girls’ Football sessions take place on a weekly basis and provide a safe environment where girls can try football for the first time. The initiative will inspire participants to engage with football, meet new friends, develop fundamental skills, learn new things and create the foundation for a lifelong love of football. Whether the girls have kicked a ball before or not, the sessions will be adapted depending on individual’s needs.

If you think your child might enjoy coming along, then bring them to our FREE first session, with the ongoing cost being just £2 per week!

Lynn Goodman, RitC Women and Girls Development Officer said:“I started playing football at a similar age to a lot of the girls taking part in these sessions and that’s when my love of football began. It’s so important to encourage them to enjoy the game from a young age and SSE Wildcats provide a great resource for that.”

Kelly Simmons, FA Participation and Development Director, said: “Since the launch of SSE Wildcats we have seen great enthusiasm from the girls taking part to continue learning and playing football. The centres have proved a huge success and we are pleased to be able to considerably grow the size of the initiative in 2018, offering a much higher percentage of girls across the country the opportunity to enjoy football in a safe and inspiring environment.”

Our centre will be run in conjunction with the FA, with the participating girls being able to make the most of our pool of qualified coaches and fantastic local facilities. As well as activities for girls, there will also be opportunities for attending parents, carers and siblings to engage with sport at the same time through ‘Family Sessions’ including Soccercise and Walking football.

The initiative is in line with The FA’s Gameplan for Growth, with the target of doubling girls’ participation in football by 2020. The strategy for women’s and girls’ football at grassroots level includes initiatives alongside SSE Wildcats, such as FA Girls’ Football Week.

Full details:

Start date: Friday 27^th April 2018

When: Every Friday

Time: 4:30-5:30

Cost: 1^st session FREE then £2 per session

Who: Girls aged 5-10 years old

What to bring: Drink and any sports wear