Fundraiser aims to empower girls to play beautiful game

Inspired by the difficulties that her own daughters faced trying to access the beautiful game, she set up Supporting Girls Football.

She now works within grassroots football and educational settings to support the FA in delivering female youth initiatives.

“Everybody should have access to football, no matter what their social or economic background is,” says Lissa, who lives in Bewdley.

For 15 years, the mother of three worked as a child and adolescent mental health nurse supporting schools, GPs, school nurses and paediatricians and developing services to provide early help to children and their families.

During this time she says she saw the benefits of sport, being part of a community and the impact it can have on all aspects of a child’s development.

But Lissa says it was when her youngest daughter became interested in playing football that her eyes were opened to the challenges faced by girls.

“It was very difficult to find a team, I couldn’t find anything in the local area. We were waiting for two years,” explains Lissa.

Once her daughter started playing, Lissa began noticing differences between the facilities and opportunities available for boys compared with girls.

“Throughout that time I became aware of the issues faced by girls in football like the lack of accessible clubs,” explains Lissa, who became an advocate and fundraiser for the girls team. She believes football offers many benefits including the opportunity to meet children of all ages and backgrounds and learning to work together as a team.

In 2020, Lissa set up Supporting Girls Football to provide advice and education through consultation and course creation for coaches, youth workers and educators.

Lissa has also become a volunteer for Football Without Borders Kenya, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) run by George Osoya.

He uses football as a way of supporting young people and driving social change in disadvantaged communities through a number of sustainable projects that benefit the lives of girls and boys; support the environment; and enables communities to become self-sufficient and economically stable.

George also aims to challenge gender stereotypes by assertively including young women in these male dominated sports.

“Football provides social, emotional and physical benefits and it can also be used as a driving force to increase gender equality and to ensure that the needs of girls are being recognised, understood and supported,” explains Lissa.

“The projects increase the visibility and opportunities for girls but also recognise the needs of girls and women by listening to them, becoming their advocates and allies, and through education within the communities they reside.”

In May, Lissa travelled to Kenya to find out more about the work of Football Without Borders Kenya, which also runs agriculture projects to support local communities, and visited Rera Primary School in Bogusero North, Central Kisii.

“The main purpose of my trip was to learn about the people and projects that Football Without Borders, Kenya are involved in. I met many great people and came home full of inspiration,” she says. “George works with about 25 schools in one region of Kenya and has a huge waiting list. I visited a project where they teach young girls how to make reusable sanitary towels. It means girls don’t miss out on education or sports.

“In Kenya they have to pay for education and healthcare. George teaches them how to make their own sanitary products and they can pass on the skills to their community. It empowers girls.”

Lissa has launched a fundraiser in aid of the school, which faces many challenges due to deteriating classrooms and facilities such as the sanitation block.

“The children are happy and the staff go above and beyond to support them but they can only use 50 per cent of the school.

“The boys toilet block is a very basic hole in the ground but it’s secure and safe. But the girls block is made from corrugated iron with sharp edges and there are cracks in the toilet floor. It smelt horrendous,” she explains.

“The headteacher showed me reluctantly as it caused him so much pain, knowing that he was exposing the girls in his school to potential health problems.”

Lissa, who also met Kevin Boucal, who runs the Young Villa Football Academy, which provides support and education to children and young people in the Gambia, has now taken on the role of strategic assistant with Football Without Borders Kenya.

“I’ve said to George from the start that I don’t have money but I what I do have is time and passion and he says that means more than anything. I will do what I can to support the organisation in reaching their goals and ultimately changing the lives of children and the communities they live in.”

She is now appealing to pubs across Wyre Forest to put up posters in their toilets encouraging customers to donate the cost of their next drink. The poster can be downloaded at www.supportgirlsfootball.com and people can support Lissa’s fundraiser at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/fwobkenya