Premier League Changemakers event champions girls from Bolton Wanderers in the Community
Participants from Bolton Wanderers in the Community joined 50 girls for a special Premier League Changemakers event recently celebrating female leadership, as part of the Premier League’s commitment to supporting women and girls.
Premier League Changemakers is delivered through the national Premier League Kicks and Premier League Inspires community programmes, and the event will see 12–15-year-olds from 30 professional football clubs come together to explore gender equality and opportunities for women within the football industry.
Hosted by presenter and former professional footballer, Chloe Morgan, and held at the National Football Museum, the Premier League Changemakers event supported participants as they discussed equity, equality and allyship in the game, as well as the significance of items in the museum’s women’s football collection. Highlights from the collection on display included Anita Asante’s 2011 England shirt, Fran Kirby’s UEFA Champions League shirt from Chelsea Women’s 22/23 campaign and the official LEGO UEFA Women’s Euro Trophy from the Lionesses’ 2022 triumph.
Participants also took part in a series of role-play and screen-printing workshops devised to highlight inspirational role-models and support the development of key leadership skills.
Premier League Charitable Fund Chief Executive, Ruth Shaw OBE, said: “With Premier League programmes supporting more than 80,000 girls and young women every year, we know how important it is to promote equality, and champion females, both on and off the pitch.
“The Premier League Changemakers event offers a fantastic opportunity for girls and young women from across England and Wales to explore the history and future of women’s football in this country and supports the development of personal skills and positive attitudes that are crucial for leadership and future careers.”
Launched in 2021, Premier League Changemakers is a UNITAR accredited programme delivered through Premier League Kicks and Premier League Inspires and provides opportunities for girls and young women aged 11-18 to access leadership training alongside sport and physical activity.
The programme, funded by the Premier League through the Premier League Charitable Fund, also encourages participation in gender equality and mental health social action projects, to increase participants confidence and support the development of vital life skills.
Forty-three professional football club charities across the Premier League and English Football League currently deliver the programme. More than 1,200 girls and young women have engaged in Premier League Changemakers to date.
One person who has benefitted from their involvement in Premier League Changemakers is Kinza, who has been involved in BWitC’s Premier League Changemakers activity for 2024.
Kinza said: “This has helped make me believe I can play football, I’ve learned so much about the past and the history of women’s football.”
Premier League Changemakers is just one example of the Premier League’s commitment to providing better accessibility and opportunities for girls and young women and enhancing player development from grassroots to the elite game.
The League is also investing £21m into women’s and girls’ football over three years. This includes £5.25m to more than double the number of girls (to over 4,200) on the pathway to professional football through Emerging Talent Centres.
To find out more, please visit: www.premierleague.com
For more information on our PL Inspires programme or the Changemakers project, please contact Gabriella at gdanby@bwitc.org.uk