BURNLEY FC PICK UP WOMEN IN FOOTBALL PROMOTING INCLUSION AWARD

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Club's pioneering Women and Girls Coaching Scheme recognised at Northwest Football Awards

2026-11-04T12:37+00:00

BURNLEY FC PICK UP WOMEN IN FOOTBALL PROMOTING INCLUSION AWARD

Club's pioneering Women and Girls Coaching Scheme recognised at Northwest Football Awards

2026-11-04T12:37+00:00

Women in Football Promoting Inclusion Award NWFA

On Monday 2nd November, Burnley FC were awarded the Women in Football Promoting Inclusion Award at the Northwest Football Awards in recognition of the Club's pioneering Women and Girls Coaching Scheme.

Burnley FC launched the Women and Girls Coaching Scheme at the start of the 2025/26 season with a clear mission: to diversify the women’s coaching industry, increase the number of qualified female coaches progressing through the pathway, and remove the barriers that have historically prevented women from entering and staying in the game.

Women remain significantly underrepresented in coaching roles across football, making targeted pathways and development opportunities crucial to improving representation at all levels of the game.

Across the past two seasons the Club has fully funded 24 women to complete their Introduction to Coaching, Introduction to First Aid in Football, Safeguarding Children and EFAiF qualifications, giving each participant a credible and meaningful first step into their coaching career and establishing a model of best practice for women’s coach development.

Burnley FC Women and Girls Coaching Scheme

Alongside formal qualifications, every participant received a dedicated mentor from across the organisation, including academy and first team coaches. The programme provides four insight days, access to open training sessions, and coaching Q&A opportunities with first team coaching staff and players. This wrap‑around support ensures that each woman gains not only technical knowledge but also real exposure to the professional coaching environment, helping them build confidence, networks and a clear sense of belonging within the game.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead, Georgia Hargreaves told us: “The Women and Girls Coaching Scheme is not only developing new coaches, but also changing who gets to become a coach, who feels welcome in football spaces and who sees a future for themselves in the game. It is a model of best practice that has the potential to inspire national change.”

Following the success of the programme, Burnley FC plans to continue expanding opportunities for women and girls in coaching, helping to build a more representative future for football both locally and nationally.