SSE Wildcats Girls’ Football Centres from The FA will provide girls aged 5-11 with regular opportunities to play football across Northumberland this spring.

The initiative offers organised sessions in a fun and engaging environment created exclusively for girls. More than 200 clubs were piloted across England in 2017 and the scheme is now being extended to more than 900 centres, with 26,000 participants across the country.

SSE Wildcats Girls’ Football sessions take place on a weekly basis, either after school or at weekends, and provide a safe environment where girls can try football for the first time. SSE and The FA hope the initiative will inspire participants to engage with football, meet new friends, develop fundamental skills, learn new things and create the foundation for a lifelong love of the game.

The following 15 SSE Wildcats Girls’ Football Centres will be running in Northumberland from spring 2018 onwards.

• Ashington Town FC – SSE Wildcats
• Bomarsund Welfare – SSE Wildcats
• Cramlington Town JFC – SSE Wildcats
• Cramlington United FC – SSE Wildcats 
• Newcastle United Foundation – SSE Wildcats
• Newcastle United Foundation Stocksfield – SSE Wildcats
• North Shields Juniors – SSE Wildcats
• Northumbria University – SSE Wildcats
• Ponteland Leisure Centre – SSE Wildcats
• Quadrant Leisure – SSE Wildcats
• Tyne Metropolitan College – SSE Wildcats
• Wallsend BC – SSE Wildcats
• West Allotment Juniors - Waterville School – SSE Wildcats
• West Moor Juniors – SSE Wildcats
• Whitley Bay FC Juniors – SSE Wildcats

Nicola Hepworth, Women and Girls’ Football Development Officer at Northumberland FA, said: “This is an exciting time for girls’ football in Northumberland. We now have 15 SSE Wildcats Centres that will provide exciting new opportunities for girls to play football. The Centres are a great way for girls aged between 5 – 11 years to get involved in the game. The sessions will take place on a weekly basis, either after school or at weekends and are designed to be fun, engaging and inclusive to all abilities.”

Kelly Simmons, FA Participation and Development Director, said: “Since the launch of SSE Wildcats we have seen great enthusiasm from the girls taking part to continue learning and playing football. The Centres have proved a huge success and we are pleased to be able to considerably grow the size of the initiative in 2018, offering a much higher percentage of girls across the country the opportunity to enjoy football in a safe and inspiring environment.”

For further information about SSE Wildcats and the sessions taking place near you, please contact Nicola Hepworth on Nicola.Hepworth@NorthumberlandFA.com or (0191) 2700 700.