News & Media | Perth girls' football festival a great success | |
 Despite the torrential rain for days in the lead up to the event, the Go Sisters World Series festival managed to escape the worst of the weather and play their games at North Inch Community Campus on Saturday 30th June. The Go Sisters World Series festival is a Friend of EduSport event organised in partnership with Perth and Kinross Council Sports Development, SFA and Jeanfield Swifts. On 30th June, Perth played host to the biggest girl’s football festival of its history with 6 x Under 9’s and 7 x Under 11’s teams from across Perthshire, Tayside, Fife and Central areas. Fiona Campbell (Co Founder Friend of EduSport) said "It was an incredible spectacle with 6 games running simultaneously and all players sporting African styled facepaint and headbands. Its incredible to imagine that this event, engaged over 130 girls in Perth plus spectators uniting girls in Perth with thousands of girls in ten countries from five continents around the world."
The main focus for the Perth event was to celebrate girls football and with so much going on in Perth and Kinross it’s a great time for girls and women to get in touch to find out where they can play. Derek Keir, Football Development Officer for P&K said "this event is the benchmark and the platform for football moving forward in Perth. There are a number of local teams who have girls teams including one of the hosts today Jeanfield Swifts. As a legacy to the first ever Go Sisters World Series in Perth we are organising a Ladies 5 a side event and its testament to the clubs in the area that a culture is developing that encourages more girls and woman to get active in Football." The GSWS also included netball (hosted by Sport Development) and a soccer mums game to conclude the festival.
To add to the festival’s inspiration, each team was photographed with the Olympic torch and met with UEFA role models, Senior Scotland Women’s players who came along to show their support and speak with the young players, Jane Ross (recently named as reserve for Team GB at London 2012 Olympics), Lisa Evans and Emma Mitchell all were warmly welcomed by the young footballers who got autographs and pictures with the players. It was great to see the young girls meet with their role models in the game of football.
 The proceeds from this years festival will be used to support local club and co hosts Jeanfield Swifts to support their U11 with a new away kit and registered charity and organisers, Friend of EduSport, which supports sport and education projects in Zambia. The event was also supported by Perth and Kinross Youth Services, Youth Legacy Ambassadors who assisted with facepainting, organisation and registration on the day. The Go Sisters World Series festival was the launch of their sports kit amnesty for Friend of EduSport. UEFA Role Models and International Scotland stars Jane Ross, Lisa Evans and Emma Mitchell brought along Scotland strips to contribute to the amnesty which will raise further funds with a view to supporting young girls to school in some of Zambia’s poorest communities.
A big thanks must be extended to those who made the event happen namely; Derek Keir, Fiona Campbell, Sam Milne, Laura Barnett, Becky Nisbett, Donna Shaw, Paula Strathie and Airlie Beveridge. Also a special mention to North Inch Community Campus staff and management who provided us facilities at very short notice!
|