Ahead of the Lionesses crucial World Cup clash with Nigeria this morning, Monday (August 7), Hitchin MP Bim Afolami has visited the largest all-female football club in the country.

All eyes will be on Sarina Wiegman's reigning European Champions who will move to brink of knockout stage if England beat Denmark in Sydney today, after beating Haiti in opening game of Women's World Cup.

However, it is closer to home where credit also resides, with the exceptional continued growth of the renowned Hitchin Belles FC.

Hitchin Belles launched in 1999 and are an England Football Accredited club with a 2-star rating which indicates they have a full player pathway from 4-year-olds to adults.

The club are one of only 21 clubs in the county that offer a full girls player pathway and Belles are the largest all female football club in the country. They currently have 30 teams with over 400 players each week benefiting from the facility at the Priory.  

The club's main growth has been over the last five years. Previously they were housed all over North Herts as the club fought for facility slots against long standing boys/men's teams. The Priory partnership has been instrumental in the growth, allowing more girls to experience football.

Hitchin's Member of Parliament Bim Afolami MP visited The Priory School in Hitchin to meet with senior figures at Hitchin Belles F.C. and discuss local grassroots football. 

The Member of Parliament hailed the "remarkable progress" being made locally, with Government investment announced over the last few months set to deliver a new artificial football pitch, new tennis facilities and more improvements to local grassroots sporting facilities in his constituency. 

Hitchin Belles received more than £1,500 from a recent Government grant for new goalposts, building on more than £500,000 of Government investment in new grassroots sports facilities at The Priory School in 2021-22.

That funding helped to deliver a new artificial playing surface at the school and Mr Afolami was able to see the impact that that has already had in widening access to sport locally. 

Bim Afolami MP said: "It was fantastic to see first-hand the new pitches at The Priory School and the results of that Government funding in action.

"Hitchin Belles F.C. are a fantastic community club – I'm told the largest girls' and women's' football club in England – and I will continue to do all that I can alongside colleagues in Government to support them to deliver their plans to continue growing and improving their facilities."