The fund of €100,000 is provided by UEFA and delivered by The FA, and put in place to increase participation from BAME women across the game, a group that is significantly under-represented.
Open to application from December 2013 to January 2014, the fund received applications from new projects totalling over £300,000 for a pot of money valued at £85,000, so competition was fierce.
BAME projects are taking place across the country
Looking for factors such as value for money, sustainability and partnership working the funding panel - that included representation from The FA’s National Women's Committee and staff from both the development and equality departments - decided on the below 11 successful projects from across the country.
These projects, which have significant Asian female representation will be delivered from now until September 2014 and will work in partnership with their local County Football Associations as well as some with local professional clubs and community groups.
Below are some of the successful projects:
1. Arches School Sport Partnership – A schools project based in the Sheffield
2. Aston FC – participation based project targeting Muslim females in the Aston area of Birmingham
3. Derbyshire CFA in partnership with Derby County FC - A project using taster sessions leading to new BAME female teams and linking in to local BAME clubs as exit routes
4. Slough LFP in partnership with Berks & Bucks FA – Working in the diverse town of Slough and using coaching programmes and festivals
5. Tower Hamlets Borough Council in partnership with London FA – A BAME coach recruitment and education programme in one of the country’s most diverse boroughs
6. Ipswich & Suffolk Council for Racial Equality in partnership with Suffolk FA – A multi partner coach and referee development programme lead by a steering group
7. Zest – A community driven football development project in the Netherthorpe area of Sheffield
8. Muslim Women's Sports Foundation, West London Somaliland & Harrow Council in partnership with Middlesex FA – A school, community and league project linked to coach and referee education and mentoring
9. Brighton & Hove Community Partners in partnership with Sussex FA – A Brighton based multi-partner project using festivals for coach and referee development
10. Middlesbrough BME Network and Middlesbrough FC in partnership with North Riding FA – A Middlesbrough based female participation project between a County FA, pro club and communities
11. Centre-West (The Hat-Trick Project), Newcastle Upon Tyne – Asian innovative female focused project linking community, football and mothers groups in Newcastle’s West End.
As well as these 11 projects The FA and UEFA has recently funded a National BAME Women's Football Futsal Festival in partnership with the Muslim Women's Sports Foundation – this was a weekend long festival at St Georges Park.
