This week, we presented the following report to the National Lottery Community Fund, and which adds to our interim report of last year, on how we used the lottery funding to help achieve our program that “Age is no barrier to health and wellbeing” and more recently to “Establish women’s walking football in Coventry”.
Alison Lister, the Lottery’s Funding Officer, commented “Thank you so much for this detailed report, it is so good to read about and hear on the radio how well the women’s football has taken off and also from the testimonials what it has meant to the women who are taking part, it is a really good example of how providing opportunities for team sports can boost physical and mental wellbeing. Wishing you continued success with the established men’s walking football and growth of the women’s provision.”

Our aim is to improve health and well-being, both physically and mentally, through walking football. We feel passionately about it.
This program supports participants in maintaining their fitness, mobility and social connections, helping them reach their potential in terms of overall better health and quality of life.
Our core values, embodied in this program, never change. This shows through in staff and player interviews with Will Oelrich from BBC CWR, where Russ, Phil and Ray shared their stories. See here: BBC CWR Sport at Six - Wednesday 19th June Whilst the interviews were given before the women’s walking football program had started, its messages still remain the same for both men and women.
Following the success of the initial program Age Is No Barrier To Health & Well Being, as reported in April 2024, See here: Age Is No Barrier To Health & Well Being, Coventry & District Walking Football Club wanted to reach out and create a women’s walking football section that can develop and prosper alongside the more established men’s section, and in so doling deliver the same benefits to a much wider community.
In August 2024, the National Lottery Community Fund agreed with us and extended our program for a further 6 months so we could establish a women’s walking football section.
Well, we did just that, and we thank the National Lottery Community Fund for supporting us!
This report sets out how we did it and what it has meant for our women players.
Our Club Secretary and women’s walking football program leader Alwyn Day, and with backing from the club’s committee, has worked tirelessly to promote, set up and run the women’s walking football section.

Our inaugural women’s walking football session for the age group of over 35 was held on Wednesday 28th August 2024, indoors, at the Alan Higgs Centre. See here: Women's Walking Football
Eight enthusiastic women turned up for the very first session and were greeted by Alwyn and fellow committee members, plus a few interested spectators. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience and all promised to come back the following week to do it all again.
From this first event, we were then able to set up a “Women Only” walking football session for every Tuesday evening, indoors at the Alan Higgs Centre. And by using the funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, we were able to provide free of charge play (up to the end of March 2025) to encourage women to join and become part of this exciting program. See here: Next Sessions Women's Walking Football
In addition, we have extended our Monday and Thursday morning sessions to include women players, whilst keeping our Friday evening sessions for “Men Only”.

We first advertised the launch of the Women’s Walking Football Program on our website on 16th August 2024. See here: WOMENS WALKING FOOTBALL at Coventry & District Walking Football Club
We said: “We know there is huge interest now in women's football, particularly following the success of the Lionesses, coupled with the fact that we are getting requests from women in Coventry and the surrounding areas, asking if we have a woman's section. We didn’t, so now it’s time to change that, so we are going to create one.”
Alwyn, set about launching an extensive advertising campaign, which is still ongoing, to recruit women players. He advertised in local magazines, such as YourCall and various Facebook groups, such as Coventry Blaze Ice Hockey, and also circulated flyers in various supermarkets, community buildings and other businesses in Coventry and the surrounding area. He also set up a stand inside, and a banner on the wall outside, of the Alan Higgs centre to publicise our “home” and attract people who use the centre and visitors to join our club.
Alwyn also connected with local radio stations and through various interviews promoted walking football and in particular women’s walking football:
• On 14th August 2024, Alwyn’s interview with Will Oelrich from BBC CWR Sport, Sport at Six, was broadcast. See here: Alwyn talks to Will Oelrich
• On 20th August 2024, Alwyn’s interview with Vic Minett from BBC CWR was broadcast. See here: Alwyn talks to Vic Minett
• On 13th September 2024, Alwyn’s interview with Moz Baker from Coventry Hospital Radio, was broadcast. See here: Alwyn talks to Moz Baker
• On 2nd February 2025 Alwyn’s interview with Frances Wall from Hits Radio Coventry, was broadcast.
• In October 2024, Will Oelrich joined-in with one of the women’s walking football sessions, and he interviewed Alwyn and several players during the evening. Will then broadcast this event on 29th October for the BBC CWR Sport’s Wildcard Series. See here: Will Oelrich Visit
The interviews gave a real insight into walking football, how the women’s section was formed and what it meant to the players. There were some great stories and testimonials from Becky, Claire, Beverley and Rachel.
They each expressed similar sentiments: “just turn up and have fun”, “makes you feel really good about yourself”, “getting fit, whilst enjoying yourself”, “made some new friends and we all get along”, “socialising that you wouldn’t get from being at home”, “camaraderie is amazing”, “anyone can give it a go”, “you don’t need to have kicked a ball before”, “different ages and different experiences”, “all work together to enjoy ourselves”, “we all thoroughly enjoy it and inspires us”, “good to be active”, “really good for my mental health”.

Only 4 months after the inaugural walking football session, our women’s team played a friendly against an established walking football team from Hartshill and ran out 2-1 winners! Alwyn commented “All in all it was an impressive team performance from a group of players who mostly have never played football in a team at any level. It is a credit to them that they have jelled into a team in every sense of the word”.See here: Ladies walking football

It is now just over 6 months since the inaugural women’s walking football session on 28th August 2024. We are steadily growing our membership and on Tuesday 25th February, 12 ladies played out a six-a-side game at the Alan Higgs centre. See here: Women's walking football session . Alwyn also referees the games and coaches the players to get ready for the game and to improve their football skills.
The players are relishing playing and all say walking football is helping them with their mental and physical wellbeing. As shown in the testimonials below, they say the weekly sessions are very inclusive and welcoming and help them to meet up with a group of lovely ladies who have fun, work together, encourage each other and provide a sense of belonging that is invaluable to them. See here: Women’s walking football 5 months on and the positive impact it is having on player’s health and wellbeing
Every member will have their own story to tell and we have included several below:
• Kirstie said: “Walking football has had a huge impact on my physical and mental well-being and I can’t recommend it enough. I’m in my mid 50s and I’ve noticed a big difference in my fitness, mobility and energy levels since I joined Alwyn and the team a few months ago. The low-impact nature of the game means I can keep moving, improve my endurance and stay active without worrying about injury or overexertion. It’s helped me feel stronger and more confident in my body again. However, the biggest benefit has been for my mental health. The friendships I’ve made, the laughs I’ve had and the sense of belonging have been invaluable. Walking football has given me something to look forward to on a Tuesday evening and a way to relieve stress, and a space where I can just enjoy the game without any pressure or expectations. I love it! “
• Deb said: “The Tuesday sessions are great fun. Working from home can be isolating so it’s really great to meet up with like-minded ladies & play ‘The beautiful game’. I know that exercise for me also helps my wellbeing. As I close in on the big 6-oh it’s nice to know that I can start new adventures & improve my fitness & health at the same time.”
• Angela said: “I started ladies walking football in November 2024 shortly after my mother passed away. I needed an activity to help me with my mental wellbeing as I felt at a bit of a loss. The walking football is brilliant fun, very inclusive and welcoming and is the first group activity I have taken part in for many years. The exercise is helping my mental wellbeing and the social interaction has been both comforting and very welcome. It has improved my fitness and I really look forward to going out on a Tuesday evening (even when it’s freezing cold) to meet up with a group of lovely ladies who have fun, work together, encourage each other and improve our football skills. I feel so much better physically and mentally having participated and appreciate the coaches patience, advice and encouragement. All in all, one of the best things I have done in years and would thoroughly recommend others to come and join in.”
• Katie said: “Joining the team has given me my first ever experience of playing a sport. It has improved my fitness level no end, given me an opportunity to make friends which I struggle with, hugely improved my ability to work as a team player and improved my overall mental wellbeing. I look forward to each session and the social interaction as well as developing skills.”
• Luca said: "I have been going to the walking football women's sessions since autumn 2024. The weekly sessions are helping with my physical recovery from long term chronic illness and are improving my mental health and well-being. I played football most of my life, but since getting ill three years ago I've been struggling to return to exercise. I was not sure I would play football ever again. So being able to play walking football safely within my current health limitations is amazing. I look forward to the weekly sessions. It is a great, welcoming environment, where I have the opportunity to continue participating in sport despite my illness. After each session I feel more positive and feel like I belong to a team again. Thank you.”
• Hannah said: “I play for this team because I spend half my week in the midlands and I wanted to play more football. I really like the way the club has grown out of a successful men’s section; and I like that there is a real sense of being part of a club. The sessions are always brilliant and it’s great seeing the improvements week on week. I value walking football for my physical health but also my emotional wellbeing, it gives me a fantastic outlet and reconnects me with the sport I loved in my youth. You put so much care into the team and that’s really special especially to players who are new to the sports I’m proud to be part of a team that’s growing and developing week on week.”

Membership
The women’s section has become an important part of the club. Our membership is increasing steadily and we hope this will continue over the coming months. We thank the National Lottery Community Fund for their financial support to help start this up.
Our challenge now is to recruit more women players, so we can have a sizeable group to sustain at least 6 aside walking football sessions every week.
As a club overall, however, we still continue to grow and have over 120 members, and that is despite losing 21 members in the last 12 months, primarily through ill health, long standing injuries, relocation or for other reasons.
This increasing membership has meant that our “Mixed” sessions on Monday and Thursday morning regularly attract 30 to 40 players and sometimes more, so we have had to extend each of these sessions to ensure there is enough playing time for everyone.

Supporting Worthy Causes in the Local Community
As a club, we continue to play a part in the local community and support worthy causes, either by making donations to local charities, or by engaging with other clubs to promote walking football and it’s benefits.
Donations we make, are raised in a number of ways, from running fund-raising walking football or social events, raffles, scratch cards and by individual contributions. In the last 6 months we have made donations to the following local causes:
• The local branch of Asthma UK, the chosen charity for Kimberley Perrott’s family, in which we donated £660 raised from a “Memorial” day to remember our former friends and player’s family members. See here: Kimberley Perrott Fundraiser & Memorial Day 21st October 2024. This was a special day to remember Kimberley Perrott and our former friends Fred Scholes, Lee Whitehead, Danny Adlington, Jackie Manning and Ron Kemp.
• The Bedworth Armistice Group, in which we donated £200. See here: We are delighted to support BEDWORTH ARMISTICE Group
• A local heart/cardiac rehabilitation group, in honour of the late Jake Knight, by playing a team in the inaugural Jake Knight Memorial Tournament at Rushall, donating £100 (of the £1000 collected) primarily from player subs. See here: Jake Knight Memorial at Rushall
• The Earlsdon Stroke Support Group who help people in the Coventry area to recover from stroke, donating £200. The group were delighted with our donation. See here: Our club donates £200 to the Earlsdon Stroke Support Group
In addition, we hosted a Walking Football Tournament in December 2024, to promote friendship and the development of walking football in Wolston (a local village) and to help them with their recruitment and retention of players. See here: Club Friendly - Coventry & District WFC v Wolston Dribblers - 3rd December 2024. As one of the Wolston players said: “It was nice meeting lots of new faces and playing competitive games in good spirit.”