Goals 4 Girls
2284. Francesca Brown
Francesca Brown, from Kent, is an ex-Manchester City football player who founded ‘Goals 4 Girls’ in 2013 to support girls and young women from marginalised communities through football.
After injury and depression disrupted Francesca’s goal of becoming a professional football player, she has used her experiences to create a programme, consisting of group mentoring sessions, therapeutic interventions, wellbeing activities and football coaching, that encourages girls and young women to set goals on and off the pitch. Through ‘Goals 4 Girls’, Francesca runs sessions that allow young women to explore issues of identity, mental health, and empowerment to help girls and young women break down barriers, create meaningful long-term changes and empower the next generation of female leaders.
Francesca has led ‘Goals 4 Girls’ to help improve the lives of over 2000 girls and young women and has delivered over 2 million contact hours of sport and wellbeing support. Through her leadership and experience as a motivational speaker, Francesca has seen the tangible impact of improved mental health, sporting ability and career aspirations in the girls and young women she has worked with. Currently operating in London and Kent, the programme works closely with organisations including London Youth, Sports England, Coutts, Prince’s Trust, Adidas, Arsenal, and Sky Sports.
In a personal letter to Francesca, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
“When your career with Manchester City was so unfortunately cut short through injury, you decided to make a difference for others – helping women and girls from marginalised communities to achieve their goals, both on and off the pitch.
“It is wonderful to see how women’s football is flourishing across the country, and how many girls have been inspired by the successes of our phenomenal Lionesses. But none of this would have been possible without people like you blazing a trail, helping girls to break down barriers and giving them a chance to succeed.”
Francesca said:
“I’m deeply honoured to be recognized for our work at Goals 4 Girls, empowering young women from marginalised communities through football and holistic support. This award acknowledges our dedication to creating positive change, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue impacting the lives of these incredible girls and young women. Mental health is crucial, and by fostering open communication, educating, and providing resources, we empower them to thrive and build a more compassionate community. My hope is to inspire a generation of young women and girls to look at my journey and believe it is possible, because she needs to see it to believe it and believe it to break barriers.”
Find out more about ‘Goals 4 Girls’