At London Playing Fields Foundation our mission is to protect places to play sport forever and create more active communities. We know that playing fields are more than parcels of green space, they are places where lives are improved and young people can thrive. One of the projects that best brings this to life is the LPFF Girls’ Football Hub, a pioneering programme designed to introduce girls aged 6–14 to football in a safe, inclusive and supportive environment.
As we mark Children’s Mental Health Week 2026, the Hub provides a powerful example of this year’s theme “This is My Place” — celebrating the importance of belonging and the positive impact that welcoming spaces can have on children’s mental health and wellbeing.
Launched with the support of the Harry Kane Foundation, Sport England and generous LPFF Gala Dinner donors, the Girls’ Football Hub was created to address the barriers that often prevent girls from accessing and staying involved in sport. Inspired by the Lionesses’ international success and a growing demand for female-friendly football opportunities, the Hub offers monthly football festivals that prioritise enjoyment, confidence-building and participation over competition.
Since its launch, more than 1,200 girls have taken part — many kicking a ball in an organised game for the very first time. Each Sunday morning session is filled with energy, laughter and encouragement, as girls are supported to try new skills, make friends and grow in confidence in a pressure-free setting.
Children’s Mental Health Week highlights the vital role that environments — schools, families, communities and clubs — play in shaping how young people feel about themselves. At the Girls’ Football Hub, football is the vehicle, but wellbeing is at the heart of the experience. Girls are encouraged to be themselves, to support one another and to feel proud of what they can achieve. One participant summed up the impact simply “At first I was nervous, but now I feel like it’s home.”
Parents have noticed the difference too, with many highlighting increased confidence, improved social skills and a growing sense of independence in their daughters. “It’s a great initiative – not only for football but for building confidence, friendship and respect. We’re so grateful that our daughter has these opportunities,” shared one parent.
The Hub has also taken an innovative approach to strengthening the wider girls’ football ecosystem. Monthly goalkeeping masterclasses, led by a qualified specialist coach, have helped address a long-standing gap in the girls’ game, encouraging participants to explore positions they may not have previously considered. Alongside this, LPFF has invested in the development of the female coaching workforce, delivering Continuing Professional Development (CPD) workshops to empower more women to take on leadership roles within football. As one coach reflected “At first, I was nervous and full of self-doubt, but the CPD sessions gave me the confidence to take on my own team. I now feel part of a supportive community of women in football.”
This holistic approach has already delivered tangible outcomes, with five new teams formed through the Hub now affiliated to local leagues, helping bridge the gap between school sport and sustained club participation.
As LPFF continues to provide Girls’ Football Hub sessions, we remain committed to creating safe, inclusive places where girls can be active, confident and feel that they belong. Children’s Mental Health Week offers an important reminder that when young people have a place where they feel accepted and supported, it can have a lasting impact — not just on how they play sport, but on how they see themselves. From shy first-timers to confident young players, the LPFF Girls’ Football Hub continues to change lives on and off the pitch. Because when a girl can say, This is My Place, it can be the start of something extraordinary.
Find out more about the LPFF Girls’ Football Hub and upcoming sessions:
https://www.lpff.org.uk/girls-football-hub/
