Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT) marked International Women’s Day by welcoming more than 120 girls to the club’s Training Ground in New Eltham for a Premier League Kicks tournament.
The players took part in a competitive football tournament throughout the day, in which they also spent time away from the pitch to hear from a variety of female role models in workshops and Q&A sessions. Charlton Women trio Charlotte Newsham, Emma Bissell and Kayleigh Barton discussed their careers in football with participants.
Non-playing staff such as Head of First Team Player Care Tracey Leaburn, CharltonTV Presenter Charlotte Richardson, CACT Risk & Violence Reduction Manager Kim Dixson and PFA Community Team Member Ashley Hodson also fielded questions from attendees and were on hand to pass on their wealth of knowledge across their different roles. CACT’s women’s network also provided insight and support.
Female members of the Metropolitan Police were also present at the tournament to share their career experiences.
CACT’s Premier League Kicks and Mentoring Coordinator Josh Eales said: “It has been a great day here at the Premier League Kicks International Women's Day tournament. The players have engaged in multiple workshops throughout the day as well as getting stuck into playing football.
“One of the big things Premier League Kicks can offer for girls from different backgrounds is the opportunity to engage with role models on a level that they wouldn't be able to do anywhere else. Having Charlton Women players down here today and other female role models who have carved out careers in what is mainly a male-dominated environment has been really inspirational for a lot of the girls today. The feedback has been great because some of them have never met players before, and some of them didn't even realise there were so many different jobs on offer in the football industry.”
Watch the video at the top of the page to see a full rundown of the successful Premier League Kicks event held by CACT to mark International Women's Day 2025.
Find out more about the Premier League Kicks programme here.
Find out more about the girls football sessions CACT offers.