Giving more women and girls access to football
Matching kit is about so much more than optics, it boosts players’ confidence, commitment and morale. The more teams we support with kit, equipment and coaching, the more players we can keep on the pitch.
Women’s football deserves to stand apart from men’s football – it warrants its own space and story. Starling, the only bank in the UK founded by a woman, wanted to create that space and change the game for good.
The mission was clear – give more women and girls access to football.
We spoke at length to 1,100 clubs from our network to understand the barriers they faced, what was holding them back, and how we could unlock their potential.
Through this research we learned that 73% of football clubs were seeing a surge in demand from women and girls following the Lionesses record breaking success. 72% were struggling to fund vital football kit and equipment needed to meet the new demand. Many didn’t have enough qualified coaches.
The “how” was clear – Give teams the kit and equipment they need to train and play, and the qualified coaches to teach them.
We were brought in to help Starling Bank provide opportunities for thousands of women and girls to play.
With the help of Lioness, Jill Scott and Third City PR, a multi year support programme was born that would help close the gaps in grassroots.
‘Kick On’ gave grassroots clubs and schools the opportunity to apply for Starling branded Nike match kits, training equipment and FA coaching courses.
We engaged our powerful network of 50,000 grassroots teams to deliver the Kick On message to the heart of the grassroots sporting communities. The application target was hit within 72hrs.
We built a bespoke online platform for clubs to apply, as well as a kit store for clubs to choose their Starling Branded kits. We even took care of the kit fulfilment process, producing over 5,500 individual football strips and delivering them to each club, all within 28 days.
Are you ready to make a meaningful impact in grassroots sports? Contact us today to explore how Gift of Kit can help your brand connect with local sporting communities, drive brand engagement, and create a positive social legacy.
Together, let’s unleash the potential of grassroots sports and inspire a better world through purpose-driven sponsorships and marketing campaigns.
