ENGLAND women and Arsenal striker Danielle Carter has praised Grow the Game and Churt Juniors Football Club following the award of a £6,000 grant from The Football Association.

The grant, which will provide a boost to grassroots female football in and around Farnham and Waverley, has paved the way for Churt Juniors Football Club to offer even more girls the chance to play football with the club on Sunday mornings at Waverley Abbey School, Tilford.

The grant will mean the club can continue to recruit more girls from year one to year six and still maintain the quality training sessions the current girls have enjoyed over the past year.

It will also enable the club to educate new coaches for the Churt Girls teams, who will be playing their first games in the Surrey County Women and Girls Football League from September 2018.

Danielle said: “I would like to congratulate Churt Juniors Football Club on working with the Football Foundation and Surrey FA to secure a Grow the Game grant.

“Playing in an all-female team from a young age was key to my development, so I am delighted that there will be more opportunities for girls in the local area and wish Churt Girls good luck during their debut season.”

Grow the Game is a programme funded by the FA and delivered by the Football Foundation. It awards grants to grassroots football clubs wishing to create new teams, especially among under-represented groups.

This year, £1,500 was made available for clubs looking to create new female and disability football teams to help towards the costs of FA coaching courses, FA league affiliation costs, referees’ fees, first aid kits, football kit and equipment.

Andrew Hall, the club’s girls’ football officer, said: “This grant from the football foundation is vital for us to give even more local girls the opportunity of playing, enjoying and developing their football in the fantastic environment that our club provides.”

For more details about the club, visit pitchero.com/clubs/churtjuniors.