Leah Williamson has opened a new pitch at Newport Pagnell Town FC, near her hometown of Milton Keynes, as a part of the Lionesses’ Future Fund grants.

The Future Fund is a £30m fund for grassroots women’s football in England, celebrating the Lionesses success whilst supporting the next generation of women and girls in the sport. Financing the pitch through the fund, Williamson teamed up with the Football Foundation to create a top quality facility for young girls in the area to play.

Manchester United’s Ella Toone and Manchester City’s Lauren Hemp have also opened pitches in their own hometowns through the fund, as the Football Foundation plans to open a pitch for each of the 23 Lionesses that won the Euros back in 2022. 

The Lionesses’ recent successes have had an incredible impact on women’s football in England, inspiring young girls and women to start playing for local clubs and grassroots teams. Though the interest is there, the women’s game still does not get the support it needs to thrive, especially at grassroots level.

The facilities women’s teams are given to train and play are usually in poor condition, but with the Lionesses, the Football Foundation is aiming to change that. Williamson’s new pitch is just one of many to come, providing a safe, suitable space for girls and women to play the sport they love. 

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