Captain Millie Bright OBE, who is a trustee of Chelsea Foundation and ambassador for the Inspire Her programme, also joined the event, bringing along the Adobe Women’s FA Cup following Chelsea’s win over Manchester United at Wembley Stadium.

Launched in November 2024, Inspire Her is Chelsea Foundation’s five-year mission to drive girls’ participation in football in collaboration with official partner Nike.

As part of the mission, Chelsea Foundation and Nike hope to positively change girls' habits around exercise, by instilling beneficial habits during key years when girls can typically drop out of exercise. Inspire Her aims to inspire girls to pursue their passions on and off the field and to create the next generation of female change-makers and leaders across the game.

The Inspire Her Summer Festival was a celebration of the first season of the project, bringing together participants from schools across London and Surrey where the programme has been delivered. The event involved football coaching on the Kingsmeadow pitch as well as Nike movement, dance and strength workshops. In free time, participants could get involved in a range of activities including bracelet- and stencil-making and hair-braiding.

Participants were also able to have their picture taken with the Women’s FA Cup, Women’s Super League and League Cup trophies.

Laura Cordingley, CEO of Chelsea Foundation, said: ‘The Inspire Her Summer Festival at Kingsmeadow was an amazing celebration of Chelsea Foundation and Nike’s pioneering programme to drive participation in girls’ grassroots football, alongside the culmination of a hugely successful season for Chelsea FC Women.

‘We are only in the first year of the programme and have a fantastic platform to build on including being nominated for the Grassroot Initiative of the Year at this year’s Women’s Football Awards. We are grateful to Nike for their continued support of Inspire Her and look forward to seeing the programme grow in the years ahead.’

Millie Bright said: ‘As a trustee of Chelsea Foundation, I am really proud to be an ambassador for Inspire Her and show how Chelsea are leading the way in football both on and off the pitch. Inspire Her is designed to empower girls to love the game and to find the confidence they need to pursue their passions.

‘It is so important that we give girls these opportunities and events like this emphasise the amazing impact programmes like Inspire Her can have.’

Dan Burrows, global GM, future of youth sport at Nike, said: ‘Nike is committed to powering the future of youth sport because an active next generation means a healthier and more equitable future for all kids. Through our Inspire Her partnership, Nike and the Chelsea Foundation continue to demonstrate our shared ambition to give girls greater access to football.

‘The continued success of the Chelsea Women’s team serves as a powerful inspiration for the next generation, empowering them to reach their full potential both on and off the pitch.’