Tigers JFC Secures £7,500 Football Grant in Dagenham and Rainham 2026

Key Points

• The Football Foundation at Wembley Stadium has awarded a £7,500 grant to Tigers Junior Football Club based in South Hornchurch.
• The funding originates from the Lionesses HERe to Play Fund, supported by the National Lottery through Sport England.
• The £7,500 grant will enable Tigers JFC to establish five brand-new football teams specifically dedicated to women and girls.
• Financial support will cover critical operating expenses including facility hire, kit, equipment, league affiliation, insurance, referee fees, and volunteer training.
• Member of Parliament for Dagenham and Rainham, Margaret Mullane, welcomed the announcement, highlighting the positive impact of grassroots sport on community health and physical well-being.

Dagenham and Rainham (East London Times) September 18, 2026 – The Football Foundation, situated at Wembley Stadium, has officially contacted Margaret Mullane, the Member of Parliament for Dagenham and Rainham, to confirm that Tigers Junior Football Club has been awarded a £7,500 grant from the Lionesses HERe to Play Fund.

How Will the £7,500 Lionesses HERe to Play Grant Be Utilised by Tigers JFC?

The financial injection delivered to Tigers Junior Football Club, which operates out of Bretons in South Hornchurch, is directed at addressing the sharp rise in demand for women’s and girls’ football across the Dagenham and Rainham constituency. According to details released regarding the grant distribution, the venue will apply the £7,500 specifically to launch five brand-new teams designed exclusively for female players. This operational expansion aims to ensure that women and girls from across the local borough are provided with structured access to competitive and recreational sport.

The funding stream originates from the Lionesses HERe to Play Fund, an initiative backed by National Lottery funding channelled through Sport England. The overarching Football Foundation operates as a strategic partnership combining resources from the Premier League, The Football Association (The FA), and the UK Government. The main objective of the Foundation is to bolster grassroots football infrastructure throughout England, ensuring local communities maintain access to well-funded sporting facilities and structured athletic programs.

Grassroots clubs frequently encounter administrative and operational costs that restrict capacity. The allocation provided to Tigers JFC will directly offset core expenditure categories essential for sustaining new squads. These core operational costs include:

• Facility hire and pitch rental fees.
• Essential training kit and matchday equipment.
• Marketing, promotion, and local publicity drives.
• League affiliation fees and official administrative registrations.
• Match official and referee expenses.
• Comprehensive sports insurance coverage.
• Formal qualifications and training for coaches and club volunteers.

By absorbing these baseline overheads, the grant allows the club to offer accessible places to incoming players without imposing prohibitive cost barriers on local families.

What Did Margaret Mullane MP Say Regarding the Grassroots Football Grant?

Following the confirmation of the award from the Football Foundation at Wembley Stadium, Member of Parliament for Dagenham and Rainham, Margaret Mullane, expressed her strong endorsement of the capital allocation for the South Hornchurch club. As reported by Sandra Rowse of the Havering Daily, Margaret Mullane stated that

“This is really great news, it will help Tigers JFC go from strength to strength in building participation from local girls and women in football at grassroots level.”

The parliamentarian highlighted the broader societal benefits associated with sustained physical activity and the visible growth of the women’s game nationally over recent years. As reported by Sandra Rowse of the Havering Daily, Margaret Mullane further noted that

“Involvement in sport is so positive for health and wellbeing and we can see from the incredible progress that women’s football has made in England, that it is opening up real opportunities for girls.”

Concluding her statement on the development at Bretons, as reported by Sandra Rowse of the Havering Daily, Margaret Mullane added,

“I wish all the Tigers JFC girls, women’s and boys teams every success in the future and hope that this grant funding will help them achieve that.”

What Is the Background of the Lionesses HERe to Play Fund and Local Grassroots Investment?

The establishment of the Lionesses HERe to Play Fund forms part of a nationwide strategy to capitalize on the sustained cultural and athletic impact of the England Women’s National Football Team. Following victory at the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 and a final appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, governing bodies committed to transforming elite international success into sustainable grassroots participation.

Historically, grassroots football clubs across East London and Essex have faced logistical bottlenecks, particularly regarding pitch availability, qualified female coaching staff, and initial capital to launch new squads. The Football Foundation, acting as the joint investment arm of the UK Government, the Premier League, and The FA, designed targeted funding streams alongside Sport England to explicitly remove financial obstacles for local organizers.

Tigers Junior Football Club, based at the Bretons site in South Hornchurch, serves a wide demographic across Dagenham, Rainham, and the wider London Borough of Havering. The introduction of targeted funds to grassroots hubs like Bretons aligns with national targets set by The FA to grant equal access to football for girls in schools and local clubs nationwide.

What Is the Prediction for How This Grant Will Affect Local Families and Female Athletes?

The allocation of £7,500 to launch five new teams at Tigers JFC is predicted to deliver direct, measurable structural effects for young female athletes, parents, and the broader sporting infrastructure in Dagenham and Rainham.

Immediate Impact on Female Athletes and Club Infrastructure

For prospective female players in Dagenham, Rainham, and South Hornchurch, the creation of five new squads immediately expands participation capacity. Rather than encountering long waiting lists or having to travel outside the borough to find organized girls’ teams, local players will gain access to structured coaching, proper equipment, and regular league competition at Bretons. The subsidy covering coach and volunteer training will simultaneously improve the quality of instruction, safety standards, and athlete retention within the club.

Economic and Health Outcomes for Local Families

For parents and local residents, the grant helps insulate families from the rising costs of youth sports participation. By subsidizing league affiliation fees, pitch hire, and playing kits, Tigers JFC can keep membership fees manageable during a period of tight household budgets. Furthermore, increased sports participation directly links to improved physical fitness, higher self-esteem, and stronger mental health outcomes among young people in the constituency.

Long-Term Legacy for East London Football

Over a three to five-year horizon, funding injections of this nature establish a sustainable talent pipeline in East London. As grassroots participation deepens at facilities like Bretons, local leagues will expand, drawing more volunteer involvement and potential scouting attention from elite regional academies. The presence of fully funded female squads strengthens community cohesion and establishes long-term pathways for women into athletic coaching, refereeing, and sports administration.