12-year old, Lola Bracey has already made a huge impact in local and national football circles in her aim to bring equal access to the game for girls, and now the Bedfordian footballer is to be a part of a big national event in 2025.
‘The Biggest Ever Football Session’ is an FA initiative aimed at bringing football to schools and colleges across the country, where football is still not offered routinely to girls in some educational settings, despite efforts to bring universal parity.
Taking place on Friday 7 March 2025, to coincide with International Women’s Day on 8 March, ‘The Biggest Ever Football Session’ aims to get girls playing football all at the same time. At lunchtime, after school, or even in a lesson, the school’s involved have total flexibility.
The Women’s game has exploded since England’s Euro 2022 triumph, with participation, fans and support rising across the UK. This is a far cry from when Women were overlooked, underfunded and even banned from playing; a decision that was only overturned by the FA in 1971.
Now, Lola and her peers are aiming to continue to bring the sport to the masses with this new initiative, building on Lola’s great work already.
Petition continues to grow
In January 2023, Lola set up a petition to force schools into offering equal access to football, with some schools not offering girls football as an option.
The petition already has over 66,000 signatures.
“Did you know so many of my friends have no sports clubs at school or they have boys football teams only?”, asks Lola in the petition.
“Why can’t we have mixed teams? Why can’t we inspire girls and boys to play together? Girls football should be offered as soon as girls start school. Get them moving and inspire them to play. It is our national sport after all.”
Recently, Lola met with Richard Radford and Galina Dewitt, policy makers from the Department of Education to discuss equal access to football for girls; a meeting that Lola says went really well.
“[We had a] fantastic meeting with Richard Radford and Galina Dewitt from the Department of Education.
“I was so nervous but it turned out great and we had some great discussion around PE in schools and Sport and what is happening. We talked about how we can achieve equal access.
“[There are] A few more meetings lined up but I will keep pushing so that all girls can play football and sport in schools wherever they are.
“He called me a positive disrupter!”
Lola is also one of 16 nominees in the Junior Sports Personality of the Year category at the Bedford Sports and Physical Activity Awards taking place on Monday (9 December), where over 160 individuals, schools and clubs have been nominated in a variety of prizes.
Schools can sign up to take part in the event via this link while you can learn more about the ‘Biggest Ever Football Session’ here.
