It's FA Girls' Football Week!

• FA Girls' Football Week runs from 10-16 October 2016
• West Ham United Foundation running ten tournaments at schools across London and Essex

FA Girls' Football Week is underway (10-16 October) and West Ham United Foundation will be doing their bit to ensure girls across east London and Essex have opportunities throughout the week to get involved.
 
Aimed at increasing grassroots participation amongst females, the week focusses on the involvement and sporting successes of females participating in the nation’s favourite sport, and can be tracked on social media using the hashtag ‘WeCanPlay’.
 
West Ham United Foundation provide opportunities that see hundreds of women and girls attend sessions across our district on a weekly basis.

The Foundation also has a dedicated women and girls officer, Karen Ray, who has a wealth of experience in the game including playing in America, and two years playing for West Ham United Ladies, who she now captains.
 
Ray will head up ten tournaments throughout the week, engaging upwards of 350 girls, and aimed at showcasing the fun and friendly nature of the nation’s favourite sport.
 
She said: “The Foundation work with thousands of women and girls across the district every week, aged from three right through to 90. We provide a mixture of free sessions, funded by partners like the Premier League, and sessions with a small cost, but all are open to beginners, and we welcome any new girls who want to come and see what it’s all about”
 
To date, the week has attracted registrations of sessions from more than 1,000 organisations across the country, resulting in more than 60,000 girls who have pledged to take part.
 
FA Director of Football participation and development Kelly Simmons said: “These are really impressive numbers and show just how many girls and women want to play football when they are given the opportunity.
 
“We have set ourselves the ambitious target of doubling participation by 2020 and these figures are really encouraging.”

For more information about FA Girls' in Football Week, click here.So, where can you get involved in FA Girls Football Week near you?