Former England captain Millie Bright handed out free football kits to grassroots girls’ teams in Leeds as part of a campaign aimed at keeping girls in sport for longer, BBC News reported on Saturday. Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out selected 30 clubs from West Yorkshire communities facing social or economic challenges to receive the new gear in partnership with the Morrisons Foundation.
Bright met with young players during the handover in Leeds and told BBC News she wanted girls to feel comfortable and confident on the pitch. “Every young girl deserves a kit, no matter what level they play at, and, whilst the top of the game is doing really well, real life still exists,” Bright said. She noted that many parents cannot afford football strips for their children, adding that young players should not have to go without.
Bright said access to proper equipment shapes whether young girls stay in the sport. “As a girl or a woman, it’s about feeling wanted and equal,” Bright told BBC News. “We deserve to have kits. I don’t want to see any girl dropping out of the game because they don’t feel valued or comfortable.”
She added that grassroots visits connect the professional game with local clubs. “These are the days that really make a difference. Hopefully this shows the girls that the people at the top care. The power of having a kit is a small gesture, but has a massive impact,” Bright said.
How the West Yorkshire kit giveaway works
Under the “More than a kit. Football United” scheme, each of the 30 chosen teams receives a full Joma match kit package for the 2026/27 season at no cost to players or parents. According to delivery partner Gift of Kit, every package includes match shirts, shorts, socks, squad numbering and a goalkeeper shirt.
Kick It Out, the Morrisons Foundation and Gift of Kit opened applications for West Yorkshire girls’ grassroots clubs on July 15, 2026, before closing the window on August 15, 2026, the Yorkshire Evening Post and the Ilkley Gazette reported. To qualify for selection, club officials had to complete an online Kick It Out course on building an inclusive club. An independent judging panel then picked the 30 recipients based on financial need, local barriers to participation and long-term sustainability.
Gemma Clark of Kick It Out told BBC News that girls’ football struggles with high drop-out rates and that the charity wants to remove kit costs as a barrier so more local girls keep playing as young women and adults.
Rising costs for grassroots families in Leeds
Among the recipients is Champions CIC in Beeston, Leeds, which founder Craig Gilmore established six years ago to provide free Saturday morning football training alongside breakfast and lunch for local children. “With the cost of living, football’s expensive [and] bills come first,” Gilmore told BBC News. “We work with a lot of families that can’t afford the direct debits and the ongoing costs of grassroots sport nowadays.”
Gilmore said the free strips give his young players an immediate lift on Saturdays. “The new kit is amazing. It gives them that sense of belonging, that team pride, it’s a massive boost for them,” Gilmore said.
Bright started her senior career in Yorkshire with Doncaster Belles before spending 12 years at Chelsea. She retired from international duty on October 13, 2025, after earning 88 caps, winning the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 title and captaining England to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final, according to England Football. She stepped away from club football on April 29, 2026, at age 32 with a record 216 Women’s Super League appearances, Olympics.com reported. The 30 West Yorkshire clubs will wear the donated Joma kits through the 2026/27 grassroots campaign.