Derbyshire-born Sophie Baggaley inspired over 70 young girls at a Girls’ Football Week event at Outwood Academy Newbold on Thursday 13 October.

The England Women’s U20s Goalkeeper visited Year 3 & 4 children from five local schools at the festival which started with a question and answer session with Sophie before moving into FA Skills drills and ending with mini-matches.

Sophie said:-

“Girls’ Football Week is very important in promoting the game and demonstrating how far it has developed already. Hopefully the popularity of events such as this can help it to grow further.

“When I was little we had to play with the boys if we wanted to play and not many girls were interested. Here you can see 72 girls playing and having fun, showing just how far the female game is progressing.

“The pathway is there if girls want to play football and progress through the levels. I’d encourage girls to get involved at their local centres and anything can happen from there if you want to go and do it.”

The event, organised by the Chesterfield School Sport Partnership and Derbyshire County FA, was designed to introduce girls aged 7-9 to football in a fun and friendly environment, harnessing the power of Girls’ Football Week.

Molly, playing in her first football festival, said:-

“It’s so good. I’ve enjoyed playing in the games and taking shots at Sophie!”

Angie Harper, Football Development Officer (Women, Girls and Inclusion) at the Derbyshire County FA, said:-

“It was great to see so many young girls playing football, many for the first time in a fun, safe environment. Having Sophie down was excellent for the girls to meet a female footballer and learn more about the women’s professional game. Derbyshire FA would like to thank Sophie for attending the event and inspiring the girls during Girls Football Week. We look forward to the next one!”

Girls’ Football Week has yet again been a major success both in Derbyshire and nationally. As a county FA we supported eight events, engaging 361 girls, contributing to over 80,000 female players getting involved across the UK during the week.

During 2016 Girls Football Week, a historic agreement has been reached between Chesterfield FC Community Trust and Chesterfield Ladies Football Club.

The two organisations have signed a five-year agreement to work together on developing the women’s game in Chesterfield.

The Community Trust currently deliver female football development sessions to a number of secondary schools across the region, free of charge throughout the academic year, as part of the Premier League Girls programme.

The new partnership will give the opportunity for girls to then train with and potentially play for Chesterfield Ladies FC.

Michael Noon, Activities Manager for the Community Trust, said:-

“We have been in partnership with Chesterfield Ladies for 12 months and the new five-year agreement gives both parties the stability to make long-term plans to increase participation in women’s and girl’s football in the local area.

“We’re proud of our track record of delivering excellent after-school girls coaching and we will continue to give girls the opportunity to play competitive football through Chesterfield Ladies Football Club.”

Keith Jackson, Chesterfield Ladies FC Chairman, added:-

“The partnership has been a success over the last 12 months, with a significant number of players joining our club having started playing at Community Trust female football sessions.

“We’re delighted to have signed a five-year agreement to develop this link, which will see our players wearing Chesterfield FC shirts, which is really exciting for the girls.

“We have grown our club by adding three teams in the last three years. The exciting opportunity working with the Community Trust will mean that we can give opportunities to a significantly higher number of girls, which is great for the area but will also will strengthen our playing sides, ultimately benefitting our first team, who have aspirations to climb the women’s football pyramid.”

One player who made the transition from female football development sessions to Chesterfield Ladies FC is Maddie Sutton. She said:-

“When CFCCT started coaching sessions at our school I became more confident and was encouraged to train with Chesterfield Ladies.

“I was nervous at first, but the parents and coaches have made us feel really welcome. I’ve really enjoyed the move from coaching in school to training and playing with Chesterfield Ladies.”

                                                 Photography: Tina Jenner

Visitors to the Royal who may struggle with their mobility will be able to get around the hospital with ease and in style thanks to the launch of our new Royal Rider service.

Thanks to investment from the Chesterfield Royal Hospital Charitable Funds, the Trust has been able to buy two buggies which will be used to transport our visitors to the hospital anywhere on the ground floor.

The riders will be driven by volunteers and can be called for at the main reception or ‘hailed’ on the way around the hospital if free.

Richard Ball, Voluntary Services Manager at the Royal, said:-

“We’ve worked very closely with Charitable Funds and we’re delighted to be able to get this project up and running. It’s not always possible or appropriate for an individual to use a wheelchair so the purpose of the Royal Rider is to help anybody who comes into this hospital with mobility problems to get around the building much more easily.

“It’s a big building and for those arriving at the main entrance it’s a good ten minute walk for some to get to our inpatient wards on the other side of the hospital. The Royal Rider can go anywhere on the ground floor which means that even if we get these individuals to the lifts, they’ll be just a few yards away from wherever it is they need to be.”

Running on electricity, there are two buggies which will be used on alternate days, one will be charged whilst the other is out and about. Fitted with a bell to warn other corridor users of their whereabouts and a flashing light to increase visibility, the Royal Rider can carry two people at any one time.

Richard added:-

“The Riders will be based primarily in the main entrance and there will be ‘Bus Stop’ style visual references as to where they will return. The drivers will be carrying mobile phones so that they can be alerted by main reception staff if their services are needed and they will also be able to hand out cards with that phone number should they need to ring following an outpatient appointment for example.

“What we hope this will do is alleviate any anxiety that some visitors or patients may have about getting to their destination. It can be nerve-wracking enough for patients coming in for an appointment without having to worry about how they’re going to get to the clinic once they’ve arrived. Hopefully the Royal Rider will give these people the peace of mind they need.”

The Royal Rider is free to use but there will be donation tins, all proceeds go towards the Trust’s own Charitable Funds for the benefit of our patients, visitors and staff.