The Isle of Wight’s only dedicated all-girls and ladies’ football club has launched an ambitious £10,000 fundraising campaign to give its Under-15 team the opportunity to play football in Europe.
Wight Eagles are hoping to take their Under-15 girls’ team to Belgium, where they will have the chance to compete against Belgian opposition near Bruges, experience a completely different footballing culture and create memories that will stay with them long after they leave youth football.
The girls are currently the only Isle of Wight club competing in Division 2 of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Girls Football League, regularly travelling across the Solent to represent the Island against mainland opposition.
An ambitious target
Now, Wight Eagles want to take that experience one step further.
The club has launched its Eagles Soar to Belgium campaign with the aim of raising £10,000 towards making the trip possible and ensuring that the opportunity is accessible to the whole team.
The group have played together for a number of years, developing not only as footballers but as a close-knit team. With their time in youth football gradually drawing closer to its conclusion, the club wants to give them an experience they are unlikely to forget.
Kirby: An incredible next step
Team coach, Gordon Kirby said,
“These girls put so much into their football and regularly travel to the mainland to represent Wight Eagles and the Isle of Wight. Taking them to Belgium would be an incredible next step.
“It isn’t simply about going away and playing a couple of games. We want them to experience football in another country, meet and compete against girls their own age from a different footballing background and see where their own football journey could potentially take them.
“We’ve set ourselves an ambitious target of £10,000, so we’re asking the Isle of Wight community and local businesses to get behind the girls and help us make it happen.
“Whether someone can donate £5 or a business wants to support us with a larger contribution, it all moves us closer to getting the team to Belgium.”
A new home in Sandown Bay
The fundraising campaign comes at an exciting time for Wight Eagles. Until last season, the club was based in East Cowes, but a new long-term agreement has seen Wight Eagles make the move to Sandown Bay, creating a new home for the club for the foreseeable future.
As the Isle of Wight’s only dedicated all-girls and ladies’ football club, Wight Eagles provides an important pathway for female players on the Island, allowing girls to progress through youth football and ultimately into the ladies’ game.
The Belgium trip represents another step in that ambition, giving young Island footballers an opportunity that is rarely available within grassroots football. The club is now hoping the Island will rally behind the team as they work towards their £10,000 target.
How to donate
To donate or support the Wight Eagles Under-15 girls’ journey to Belgium, visit the GoFundMe website.
News shared by Matt Jeffrey on behalf of Wight Eagles. Ed
