Group that brings women together to play football recognised by FA

Portsmouth City Council has received an ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Heroes Award’ at the Hampshire FA Grassroots Football Awards 2024 for the football sessions they organise through its Cross-Cultural Women’s Group.

The Cross-Cultural Women’s Group offers a safe space for women who don’t speak English to connect with their local community, learn the language, and take part in activities like walking football, which is supported by Hampshire FA.

The award was jointly given to the Cross-Cultural Women’s Group and Rowshonara Reza, a community development officer with Portsmouth City Council’s Independence and Wellbeing team.

The Independence and Wellbeing team has run the Cross-Cultural Women’s Group for many years, and Rowshonara has led it since 2022. She is driven by her own experiences to find sports and activities for the group, as she wasn’t always encouraged to join in such activities when she was younger.

She said: “The key is giving women an informal, relaxed, safe space where they can drop in with their children who are under school age, learn, try new activities, and make friends. Being surrounded by other women who are also facing difficulties gives women the chance to talk about their feelings and build a network of support. We have women who have no English language skills yet can communicate and understand one another.”

The Independence and Wellbeing team works with local residents to create social groups and activities that reduce loneliness and support both physical and mental health.

The team also trains attendees to become volunteer facilitators who help run the sessions and eventually lead the group as a community resource.

Shama Parveen, a volunteer facilitator with the Cross-Cultural Women’s Group, has been trained by Hampshire FA to be the group’s football coach.

She said: “The sessions are a great way for women to be active and come out of their comfort zones. Not only do the sessions allow them to learn a new skill, but they also help build confidence in their abilities while supporting each other.

“The best part is that there is no age limit, so women of all ages can participate and have fun together. This is a great platform for ladies who are unable to take time out of their busy lives to prioritise their wellbeing and engage in a fun, healthy sport. They are always eagerly waiting for the next session to arrive.”

Alienor Chartier, community engagement and inclusion officer, and Jordan Bradshaw, female recreational football development officer at Hampshire FA, added: “The weekly football sessions with Portsmouth’s Cross-Cultural Women’s Group are part of a wider programme that Hampshire has developed called ‘Walk, Talk and Play’ where we introduce walking football to women-led community groups across Hampshire. After running successfully for seven weeks, the Portsmouth session has come to an end, and we’re now delivering the same programme to a group of Nepalese women in Aldershot.

“Together we worked behind the scenes with Rowshonara to get the sessions up and running, took care of ordering all the Nike equipment, created a session guide, and upskilled Shama as the casual coach for the session.

“We’ve really enjoyed seeing the participants’ confidence grow after each session and getting them involved in a type of activity that was new to most of them. Seeing Shama, our casual coach, growing into her role was also a highlight.

“There’s a health benefit to taking part in the session as it shows that exercising can be fun and accessible to everyone. It also gives the participants an opportunity to make new friends and challenge themselves by stepping out of their comfort zones in a safe and welcoming environment, things that are really good for their social and mental health.”

Councillor Matthew Winnington, cabinet member for community wellbeing, health and care at Portsmouth City Council, said: “It’s great to see Rowshonara and the Cross-Cultural Women’s Group recognised for the vital service they provide, to help support these women to connect with their community, learn English and grow in confidence.”

Other recipients of the award include Ma Khelchu, meaning “I’ll play” in Nepalese, which was founded in 2019 to provide a safe space for Nepali girls and women to engage in sports. Football was introduced in 2022, gaining immense popularity. The group made history as the first women’s team to participate in the Gurkha Cup, and they later joined the Play On League, finishing second in their debut.

Another award-winning group Kenny Fong started weekly football sessions in 2022 to engage the Hong Kong community in Southampton, Portsmouth, and Winchester. Initially attracting 15 members, the group has grown to over 60. With Hampshire FA’s help, they organised their first Lunar Chinese New Year football match. Kenny hopes to see more football teams formed within the community.

Louis Dewar, another recipient, has played disability football since he was 11. He established a deaf football team in Hampshire with the support of Hampshire FA, now part of AFC Stoneham. The team plays at Stoneham Lane Football Complex, with a growing number of players.

Businesses and organisations interested in supporting the Cross-Cultural Women’s Group can contact the Independence and Wellbeing team at [email protected] or call 023 9284 1762.