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30 girls were given the opportunity to take part in a Brighton & Hove Albion Soccer Schools session in Eastbourne.

There has been an incredible spike in interest around women and girls’ football ever since the Lionesses’ triumph at the Euros last summer, and Snickers UK wanted to make the most of that surge by providing free football sessions for girls.

Albion in the Community saw a 100% increase in girls football participants this summer compared to the same period in 2021, and a 73% boost in girls signing up to our Talent Pathway and Advanced Centres.

Snickers UK, who provide workwear and tools, has been a dedicated sponsor of the club for many years now.

We spoke to Chris Ruff, Managing Director of Snickers UK, who told us how passionate he and his company are about promoting girls’ football in Sussex.

“Coming off the back of the Euros, we want to make the most of the focus on women’s football right now,” Chris told us.

“I think the girls’ football setup at Albion in the Community is fantastic.”

Chris told us that his company wanted to play their part by removing the financial barrier from some girls taking part.

“Although the soccer schools are great value for money, parents can’t always afford it, especially if you’ve got two or three kids,” Chris said.

“We thought that if we can get a few kids playing by sponsoring them, we might be able to get one or two of them get hooked and playing again and again.”

Chris also told us that he’s keen to provide more opportunities for girls on the outer edges of the county.

“There’s a lot of girls around East Sussex – Hailsham, Hastings, Bexhill, Eastbourne, Polegate – who don’t have a lot of opportunities to play football around here.

“These are places where we could find the next Danielle Carter, the next Fern Whelan. They’re out there and we don’t want to let them slip through the net.”

Chris feels that even if some girls try football and don’t like it, the important thing is that they had the chance to give it a go.

“What’s really important isn’t necessarily that girls get into football, but that they have the opportunity to get into football in the first place,” he told us.

“We’re a small company and we’re very, very proud to be able to sponsor both the men’s and the women’s teams. At the end of the day we’re just fans of the club. Whether we were sponsors or not, I’d still be there on a Saturday.”

Albion Head of Commercial, Russell Wood, said of Snickers UK in 2021: “Their UK base is here in Sussex and they are massive fans of the club.

“They are always a pleasure to work with and we’re looking forward to building on the already strong relationship we have with Snickers UK.”

To find out more about our work with girls’ football, visit here: https://bhafcfoundation.org.uk/football-participation/developing-talent/women-girls/