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In November 2007, 50 women from across the football industry met at the then home of West Ham United. It was to be Women in Football’s first official event. 

In an article charting the organisation’s history last year, Ruth Shaw OBE, now CEO at the Premier League Charitable Fund, recalled her first involvement in 2012. “WIF was built on a foundation of unwavering support for other women working in the industry," she said. "I’d been working in football for a little while by then and saw opportunities to improve gender equality everywhere I looked, but the only people I could really see doing anything about it were WIF.” 

Fast forward the clock and Ruth is still just as committed in 2025 as she was in the nascent stages of WIF’s evolution. During four days over the last fortnight in London, Ruth participated alongside 11 other women from across the football industry in the Women in Football Train the Trainer programme, powered by the Premier League. 

Places on the programme were for Women in Football Leadership course alumnae, a programme supported by Barclays which celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2025–26.

“For the past ten years, Women in Football’s Leadership courses have empowered more than 600 members, equipping them with the confidence, skills and network to thrive in their careers,” said WIF Chair Ebru Köksal.

“It has been truly inspiring to witness their professional and personal growth as they break barriers, lead with impact and drive meaningful change across the football industry. These courses are not just about development. They are also about transformation.”

The Train the Trainer programme has been devised to develop additional capacity in the provision of WIF courses. Quite simply, by being able to train more women to facilitate future editions of the Leadership Course, WIF can continue to enhance the careers of even more women working across the industry.

 

“When women lead in football, we don’t just diversify the voices in the room: we transform the entire conversation. By sharing what we’ve learned through the Train the Trainer programme, we can open the door for other women to follow and grow, and together, build a stronger community that moves the game forward.”

Ruth Shaw
Chief Executive, Premier League Charitable Fund

 

Monique Choudhuri, Women in Football director and strategic leadership consultant, used her personal expertise and industry experience to design the course syllabus and structure. “We champion and celebrate women, helping to develop leaders who can become more impactful in their careers and influential in the environments in which they work,” she explained. “By delivering more courses for more women, WIF can support a quantum shift in the representation of female leadership spanning the entire football industry.”

The programme aims to create a positive feedback loop, where knowledge, inspiration, and a sense of community contribute to the ongoing success of the Leadership Course. By giving back to the next cohort of women in football, the future facilitators' own leadership skills are also enhanced, further contributing to the growth of the WIF community.

 

Outstanding

Anna Deignan, Director​ of Fans and Development at the Premier League, is delighted about her organisation's involvement. “We are very proud at the Premier League to be supporting WIF in delivering a high-quality programme of development to outstanding women making an impact in our industry," she said. "These women are already role models, but honing their facilitation skills through this scheme means they will be superbly equipped to inspire the next generation of women leaders in football.”

The programme comprises four stages. Following the submission of an application detailing their personal motivation, potential participants were invited to an interview where their individual skills, knowledge and experience were assessed. 

Successful applicants progressed to the course which featured a combination of individual and group exercises, with a key focus on the skills and competencies required to be a Leadership Course facilitator. The second half of the programme immersed the participants in the Leadership Course content they will deliver and the ‘trainer craft’ required to both prepare and present sessions. They were also supported in the ‘finessing’ of their teaching styles via the guidance of the course leaders.

Yvonne Harrison, CEO of Women in Football, succinctly underlined the importance of programmes such as Train the Trainer, and the Leadership Course.

“Part of the job of a facilitator is to be a role model,” she explained. “Each individual woman’s own story and career journey will help to inspire and motivate a new generation, as they seek to achieve their own personal goals.

"More broadly, WIF is an organisation that wants to work with the industry to influence and create change. It's everyone's responsibility. We know that if you have more diverse teams and create more inclusive cultures, businesses thrive.”

 

“What a few days of learning. I feel very grateful to have learned from such master facilitators and really appreciate the opportunity. I now have a notebook filled with useful advice and am feeling excited for the next stage in this journey.”

Lowri Roberts
Sports Consultant, Play with Purpose

 

After the completion of the initial two-week programme, nine participants will progress to the final phase of the Train the Trainer programme where, over the next ten months, each will attend and co-deliver Leadership Course sessions, supported by the expertise of established facilitators.

For any WIF member considering taking the plunge themselves and requiring a soupçon of additional encouragement, we finish with the words of Monique, who also chairs the WIF Personal Development committee.

“In just two weeks, this group of women were transformed. They went from an initial nervous anticipation, to an ever-more confident, and highly competent peer network. 

“At WIF, we reflected on our previous course offerings to both evolve and improve them. Thanks to the tremendous support of the Premier League, we are truly able to deliver on our mission to develop more women as leaders and support more women to successfully and positively influence their own respective landscape.”

Our special thanks go to the Train the Trainer training team of Monique Choudhuri, Ebru Köksal, Andrew Loveless, Jane Purdon, Sarah Thompson and Nisha Vyas, who summed up her experience of the programme. “It was truly a pleasure to connect with all the participants," she said. "I’m so grateful for the energy, passion, commitment and joy they brought to the last two weeks, and I would like to congratulate them on reaching the next stage. I hope every individual takes a moment to celebrate how far they’ve come in what has been an intense process.”

 

The Women in Football Train the Trainer programme participants are:

• Cassie Whittell, Senior Operations Manager, Brighton & Hove Albion FC

• Danetta Powell, Head of Operations & Administration, Tottenham Hotspur FC Academy

• Sarah Gordon-Jones, Events Manager, Women in Football

• Floss Andrews, mindset coach, Mindset Five

• Gaia Pretner, Head of Sustainability, European Club Association

• Lola Ogunbote, Head of Women's Football, Burnley FC

• Lowri Roberts, sports consultant, Play with Purpose

• Lungi Macebo, Women in Football director

• Michelle Dorgan, training, development and sports marcomms consultant

• Ruth Shaw, Chief Executive, Premier League Charitable Fund

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