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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.

An promotional image for Big Football Day featuring four young girls, smiling down at the camera

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.

Read the full story.

A group of young people playing football outside on a football pitch.

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.

An empty football stadium bathed in daylight

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.

Young girls in football kit holding flags

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.

Read the full story.

Hounslow Harriers

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.

Read the full story.

Bethan Woolley

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.

Read the full story.

Cadishead Sports Junior Football Club

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.

Read the full story.

A girl wearing a football journey with the number 7

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.

Read the full story.

Baroness Sue Campbell

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.

Read the full story.

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