The starting point
Women and girls are not an audience added later. They are the design starting point.
women and girls in sport Warwickshire — deserve environments designed around their ambitions, experiences and everyday lives. Warwickshire Valkyries Foundation is developing a female-first vision that starts with sport but reaches into community, family life, education, wellbeing and long-term opportunity.
A female-first starting point
A female-first approach does not mean creating a smaller version of an existing model. It means considering participation, safety, changing provision, coaching, scheduling, transport, family responsibilities, confidence, progression and leadership from the beginning. The aim is to create an environment in which women and girls can arrive, belong, develop and see credible opportunities ahead of them.
From participation to lifelong connection
Sport can be a first point of contact, but a strong sporting community should offer more than a session or fixture. People may move between playing, coaching, officiating, volunteering, employment, mentoring and leadership at different stages of life. The Foundation wants to create routes that make those transitions visible rather than treating participation as a single narrow pathway.
A Warwickshire project with wider relevance
The project is rooted in Warwickshire and should respond to the people, schools, clubs, businesses, charities and communities around it. At the same time, the challenges around female participation, retention and representation are not unique to one place. Building carefully, measuring outcomes and sharing learning can make the work useful beyond the immediate project.
Facilities that support the whole experience
The proposed Valkyries House is intended to become the first major physical expression of the vision. The concept brings sport together with performance support, community activity, family-friendly spaces, education, wellbeing and hospitality. Detailed facilities will develop through planning, consultation, funding and professional design rather than being presented as fixed before that work is complete.
Partnership rather than duplication
Warwickshire already contains sporting expertise, community organisations and committed volunteers. The Foundation should strengthen that ecosystem rather than duplicate good work. Partnerships with clubs, governing bodies, schools, colleges, universities, health and wellbeing organisations, local authorities, charities and businesses can help identify genuine gaps and create joined-up opportunities.
Building trust through evidence
Authority must be earned. As the Foundation develops, it intends to publish clearer project information, governance material, progress updates and impact evidence. Claims about participation, social value or community benefit should be supported by real data when programmes become operational.
Frequently asked questions
What is Warwickshire Valkyries Foundation?
Warwickshire Valkyries Foundation is developing a female-first sport and community vision in Warwickshire, beginning with rugby and intended to grow into wider opportunities around community, family life, education and wellbeing.
Why is the project female-first?
The approach starts by considering the needs and experiences of women and girls at the design stage rather than adapting facilities, pathways and culture later.
Is the Foundation only about rugby?
No. Rugby is the starting sporting focus, while the wider Foundation vision includes community, families, education, wellbeing, leadership and other future opportunities.
What is Valkyries House?
Valkyries House is the proposed first major building and community hub within the developing project. Its detailed design remains subject to planning, funding, consultation and professional development.