Empower Her: Lessons from a place-based approach to widening access to football

Women and girls’ football is growing fast in Greater Manchester. Since 2022, there’s been a 27% rise in FA-registered female players, a 67% increase in FA-affiliated women’s teams, and a 134% rise in grassroots clubs offering girls’ teams. This growth has been supported by the FA’s national and local programmes, the Greater Manchester Women’s Football Board, and the dedication of local clubs, coaches and volunteers, and accelerated by the legacy of hosting EURO 2022. 

While progress is strong, this growth hasn’t yet reached everyone equally, with opportunities to ensure more communities can benefit. Women and girls from under-represented ethnic and faith communities, and those living in less affluent areas, have fewer opportunities to play, volunteer, or lead in football. 

The Empower Her Football Activity Fund was created to unlock these opportunities and ensure that the growth of the women and girls’ game benefits more communities.  

Delivered in partnership with the FA, Lancashire FA, Manchester FA, Greater Manchester Moving, Sported and a range of local organisations, the fund supports inclusive football sessions, leadership pathways, and stronger local partnerships. 

Empower Her set out to do more than increase participation. It tested whether changing how decisions are made, who shapes opportunities, and how funding is delivered could lead to more inclusive outcomes. This fund is an example of how partners can work together to enable inclusive sport, translating national strategy into local action.  

Why a different approach was needed 

Local and national data and insight shows that women and girls from some ethnic and faith communities, and those living in lower-income areas, face challenges in accessing football, and are currently under-represented across playing, volunteering and leadership roles. 

The reasons for this can be complex. Some are more personal, such as confidence, feeling like football isn’t “for people like me”, family or cultural expectations, lack of time or money, fear of discrimination, or past negative experiences. Other opportunities to improve access are built into the system itself; historically male-dominated pathways and structures, unequal access to facilities at convenient times, a lack of visible and representative role models, or entry points that aren’t always visible or seen as welcoming. 

Empower Her was designed to respond directly to these realities. It was not solely about growing participation figures, but about ensuring opportunities to get involved are more community-led, welcoming, and accessible, and providing new routes into leadership and volunteering, helping women and girls see football as a space they can thrive in.  

By testing new ways of working together as partners, the approach has placed people and communities at the centre of decision-making and delivery, helping ensure that football in Greater Manchester is more reflective of the communities it serves.  

What felt different about the approach?  

From the outset, partners recognised that reaching more women and girls from historically under-represented communities required doing things differently. Traditional funding models, designed around existing football structures, were unlikely to reach women and girls who felt furthest from the game. 

What set Empower Her apart was the emphasis on collaboration and community voice. National, regional and local partners worked together to shape the fund, moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach and towards one grounded in local knowledge and lived experience. 

Community voices were involved directly in decision-making, including sitting on the funding panel. This helped to make sure decisions reflected the realities of the communities the fund aimed to support. 

Small but intentional design choices also mattered. The fund used clear, jargon-free language and offered different ways to apply, helping organisations feel confident and able to engage. Focus groups and drop-in sessions gave potential applicants the chance to ask questions, build relationships and “meet the funder”. This demystified a process that can otherwise feel difficult or intimidating to take part in. 

As one community leader involved in shaping the fund reflected: 

“Community voices were genuinely valued, the process was flexible and accessible, and decision-making felt transparent. It didn’t feel like we were being consulted – it felt like we were part of shaping something impactful.” 
Khadija Patel, KRIMMZ Girls Youth Club 

The fund also actively reached beyond traditional football networks. By working closely with Greater Manchester’s Place Leads (through the Place Partnership approach), partners were able to connect with community organisations not already involved in football. This helped to translate the fund’s aims for local projects, and supported new groups to access funding. This helped ensure the fund was rooted in local need and connected to wider place-based programmes.  

Five key lessons from Empower Her Phase 1 

1. Building trust takes time, but the results are worthwhile. Early conversations around timelines, expectations and ways of working gave way to stronger relationships and a more inclusive process. Everyone being open to adapting how they work and learning from each other as we went along made a real difference. 

2. Mindset shifts are needed across the system. Place-based working requires everyone - national bodies, local partners, and Active Partnerships - to rethink traditional ways of doing things. Supporting change across a whole organisation (rather than focusing only on individual learning) creates long term changes in how people think.  

3. Participation should be representative but realistic. Meaningful community voice requires time and resource. Even when full co‑design isn’t possible, giving communities clear chances to share their views helps make sure decisions are based on lived experiences, not assumptions. 

4. Flexibility works best with some structure. Clear roles, responsibilities, and timelines help build confidence as partners work in new ways.  

5. Small changes can make a big difference. Simple shifts, such as asking about projected impact as well as numbers, or offering different ways to apply, can make funding more accessible. This can also help to measure the ripple effects of community projects. 

At the heart of this is a shared understanding of place-based working. Data helps to show where investment might be needed, but it’s trusted relationships, local insight, and collaboration that drive lasting change. 

Looking ahead 

The response to the fund showed that this approach works. Applications came from both established football organisations and community groups new to the game, resulting in 34 projects being funded and £61,500 invested across Greater Manchester. 

For the FA, the fund also offered valuable learning: 

“The Empower Her Football Activity Fund has provided a real test-and-learn opportunity for The FA to take a more place-based approach. Connecting with organisations and communities that haven’t previously engaged with football has been significant, and we hope this learning will influence how the game continues to develop locally and nationally.” 
Andy Baker, Regional Network Manager, The FA 

As Empower Her moves into delivery, these early learnings are already shaping the next phase. Guidance has been made simpler, timelines are more flexible, and an even broader range of partners will be involved in shaping what comes next. 

Most importantly, Phase 1 has shown that when we take our time, listen, and work differently with communities and each other as system partners, more inclusive and accessible sport and physical activity opportunities begin to develop. 

We will soon publish an insight piece focusing on the women, girls and communities bringing Empower Her to life - and the difference this work is already making.