How Hounslow Harriers became best in the West

He said, “I was actually in tears. What it meant to me, as someone that grew up in Hounslow, is seeing young people from Hounslow actually achieve something in Hounslow, rather than thinking they have to go elsewhere to find opportunity.”

West Hounslow is regularly ranked among the top 10 percent most deprived areas in England. Chris, the club’s coach, welfare officer and safeguarding officer, grew up in the area and has first-hand experience of the challenges facing many of its young people.

When he became a youth worker at Hope Church Hounslow in 2015, Chris saw an opportunity to change things. He said, "I've always been crazy about football. But energy alone couldn't overcome the harsh realities facing families in one of London's most challenging areas. We’re talking about parents working weekends, families without cars and girls told that football wasn't for them.”

The game changer was a £5000 National Lottery grant that laid the foundations of today’s thriving football club. Chris said, “It allowed us to invest in kit for the girls and book venues for training and matches.”

Transport, or rather the lack of it, was also a major hurdle. The funding gave the club access to a minibus and the trips to and from training sessions and games gave the girls a chance to listen to music, bond and arrive at their destination “emotionally warmed up and ready to play as a team”.

The National Lottery’s support of Hounslow Harriers is part of a remarkable 30-year journey that has seen more than £6.8BNBillion invested in grassroots sport across the UK. More than £50MMillion has been committed to women's and girls' football in England alone since 2012.

Before any brand sponsored them, before the TV deals, before the fame, The National Lottery believed in women's sport. And thanks to the £30MMillion raised every week by National Lottery players for Good Causes across the UK, inspirational figures like Chris have had the resources they needed to turn dreams into reality.

When Hounslow Harriers started it had about six members. Now, it’s a thriving community of 70 girls who train and play every week. The club runs partnerships with five local schools and actively challenges the narrative that girls stop playing football in their early teens.

One story captures this transformation. One of the club’s volunteers spotted a talented footballer during a school session and encouraged her to join the Harriers. Chris said, "She showed up not knowing anybody else at the club which can feel incredibly scary as a twelve-year-old. Over the past year she has grown in confidence both on and off the pitch. She even started bringing her younger sister along which has deepened the bond of girls' football in the family.”

Without National Lottery funding, Chris acknowledges the club’s ambitions would have remained just that: ambitions. He said, "We wouldn't be able to run as many sessions as we do and entering local leagues and making the games accessible would be quite challenging."

Now, Hounslow Harriers is aiming to expand its reach beyond football. It’s planning to form a charity which will “nurture secure, gifted and well-rounded young people who take their experiences into adult life.”

The club’s impact already extends far beyond match results. Parents speak of daughters who have found confidence and a sense of belonging; they’ve identified dreams they never knew they could chase. In a letter to the club one parent wrote, "Thank you so much for making our girls braver, stronger and happier."

Photo credit: Hounslow Harriers

29th June 2025