The National Lottery's Summer of Sport 2025
Celebrating the power of sport, from grassroots to greatness
This summer, we’re championing the incredible impact that National Lottery players have on sport across the UK. Every ticket you buy helps raise over £30 million each week for good causes, with sport being one of the biggest winners.
In 2025-2026, the UK enters a monumental year for women’s sport. As the Women’s Euros kick off in Switzerland and England hosts the Women’s Rugby World Cup, we’re not just celebrating sporting success - we’re celebrating the decades of investment that made it possible.
Since the 1990s, when professional women’s sport struggled for recognition, National Lottery players have been quietly transforming the future. From building pitches and clubs to funding coaching, talent pathways and bold campaigns like This Girl Can - it’s all part of a legacy that has empowered millions of women and girls to take part, lead, and excel.
To date, over £6.8 billion has been invested in grassroots sport - including vital support for women’s and girls’ programmes across all four nations. And with £8.7 billion total National Lottery funding across grassroots and elite sport, the impact spans everything from local teams to Olympic podiums.
We’ve also helped build the stages for greatness - from Wembley Stadium and Hampden Park to the Principality Stadium - creating spaces where history is made.
National Lottery funding doesn’t just create medals - it reshapes culture, inspires communities and unlocks opportunities that once felt impossible. This summer of sport is a celebration of what’s possible when you invest in potential. When you back grassroots, you build greatness.
Join us in celebrating a summer of sport, powered by you.
Unity Before Rivalry: Seven Clubs Unite on Coronation Street as The National Lottery Transforms Grassroots Football
Historic gathering brings together England and Wales clubs 24 hours before Euro 2025 clash.
Seven grassroots football clubs from England and Wales unite on Britain's most famous street on Saturday July 12th for a special Big Football Day event on the Coronation Street cobbles—just 24 hours before their nations meet in UEFA Women's Euro 2025.
The unprecedented event brings together 48 young female footballers aged 12-16 from National Lottery-supported clubs, showcasing how sustained grassroots investment has created pathways from local pitches to international tournaments.
Big Football Day powered by The National Lottery
The National Lottery is proudly teaming up with The FA to deliver Big Football Day – a celebration of women and girls’ football running throughout July.
With over £6 billion invested into grassroots sport by National Lottery players, including £65 million for women and girls’ football, this partnership continues to grow the game from the ground up - supporting initiatives like The FA’s Squad Girls’ Football programme and UEFA Women’s EURO Legacy, which has created over 500,000 opportunities to get involved.
From 2nd to 27th July, Big Football Day events will be popping up across the country. Expect football taster sessions, watch parties, food, music and fun for all ages - powered by National Lottery players.
Find your local Big Football Day event and celebrate the summer of sports in style.
Women's Euro's 2025
As the UEFA Women's Euro's kicks off in Switzerland, it’s more than a showcase of elite talent, it’s the result of decades of progress driven by community support and long-term investment. Thanks to National Lottery players, over £6 billion has been invested in grassroots sport, helping to level the playing field for women and girls across the UK.
From local pitches to national pride, this summer’s tournament reflects a powerful legacy, where early opportunities, access to sport and community backing have helped build the foundations for success on the international stage.
The Beautiful Game for All: Emma Iball's Mission to Give Girls a Sporting Chance
Emma Iball still remembers being banned from her local football league in 1983 simply for being a girl - a moment that shaped her lifelong mission to improve access to the sport. Now Club Secretary at Buckley Town FC, Emma works closely with players and the FAW, with the club set to feature at “Big Football Day on the Cobbles,” supported by The National Lottery.
Motivated by her and her daughter’s experiences, Emma helped launch girls’ sessions at National Lottery-funded Colliers Park, which led to the creation of the North East Wales Girls’ Football League.
From Sidelines to Champions: How Chris Kettel Built a Football Lifeline in Hounslow
With a £5,000 National Lottery grant, Chris Kettel transformed girls’ football in Hounslow - one of London’s most deprived areas. From just a few players to 70 weekly participants, the Hounslow Harriers now partner with five schools and have clinched their league title.
The club has become a place of pride, friendship and opportunity, powered by volunteers and belief. Thanks to National Lottery players, girls in Hounslow are writing their own success stories.
From Barriers to Breakthroughs: How Bethan is Continuing the Fight for Welsh Women's Football
Fifty-one years after Wales women's team was established, Bethan Woolley stands as Strategic Lead for Women & Girls' Football at the Football Association of Wales (FAW), watching Wales prepare for their first-ever major tournament at UEFA Women's Euro 2025.
It's a journey intrinsically linked to three decades of National Lottery investment—funding that has transformed Welsh football from borrowed men's kits to European championships.
From Second Bottom to League Champions: The Salford Club Transforming Girls' Football
A remarkable three-year transformation has seen Cadishead Sports Junior Football Club evolve from having one struggling girls' team to becoming a powerhouse of women's football in Salford – a journey that showcases the game-changing impact of National Lottery investment in grassroots sport.
From Initial Nerves to Football Fame: How 13-Year-Old Summer Won Top Team Award
When 13-year-old Summer Fitton was asked to move up to 11-a-side football, she felt nervous about making the transition.
"I was just a bit wary of moving up," Summer recalls. "I didn't know if I was big enough as I was smaller than everyone else."
Today, that same girl beams with pride as she holds the Players' Player Award – voted by her teammates at Rochdale AFC Ladies as their most valued player of the season.
From Teacher to Transformation: How Baroness Sue Campbell Revolutionised Women's Football
Born in Manchester's Moss Side, Baroness Sue Campbell helped turn women's football from a marginalised sport into a national phenomenon, with more than 5 million women and girls now playing across the country.
When Baroness Sue Campbell took the helm as The FA's Director of Women's Football in 2016, she set three ambitious targets: double participation, double the fan base, and create a pathway to success. By 2020, she hadn't just met these goals – she'd surpassed them, with participation doubling and the fan base quadrupling.
From Half a Team to 150 Dreams: The Chadderton FC Revolution
How Three Dedicated Volunteers Transformed Lives Through Women's Football in Oldham
In the heart of Oldham, an extraordinary transformation has unfolded at what was once a traditional men's football club. What began with just "half a team" of hopeful girls has blossomed into a footballing revolution that now supports over 150 women and girls—a perfect example of how the National Lottery's £6 billion investment in grassroots sport has been "game-changing for women and girls' sport."
Finding Her Pitch: Anna Shiels' Journey Through Women's Football in Greater Manchester
From being told football "wasn't for girls" to building pathways for future generations - one woman's transformation of grassroots sport
When Anna Shiels steps onto the artificial turf at Ashton on Mersey FC's home ground in Sale, Greater Manchester, she carries with her the weight of decades of change in women's football. It's a journey that began with rejection and has led to her club being selected as one of just seven to celebrate on the iconic Coronation Street cobbles this July.
From Initial Nerves to Football Fame: How 13-Year-Old Summer Won Top Team Award
A young player's journey from initial nerves to team recognition shows the life-changing power of grassroots football support.
When 13-year-old Summer Fitton was asked to move up to 11-a-side football, she felt nervous about making the transition."I was just a bit wary of moving up," Summer recalls. "I didn't know if I was big enough as I was smaller than everyone else."
Today, that same girl beams with pride as she holds the Players' Player Award – voted by her teammates at Rochdale AFC Ladies as their most valued player of the season.
Breaking Barriers: How AFC Leyton Has Become East London's Female Football Powerhouse
In 2015, when AFC Leyton was founded as an independent female-only football club in East London, the landscape for women's football looked very different. Nearly a decade later, this trailblazing club has grown into one of the country's largest female football clubs, with hundreds of members across all age groups.
What sets AFC Leyton apart is its unique structure. Unlike nearly all other girls' and women's teams, AFC Leyton operates completely independently from any male football club - meaning every penny received is reinvested directly into girls' training, matches, and experiences.