A Safe Place

Claire Bennett, England

England Football and Goal Click have teamed up to create a powerful storytelling series spotlighting how grassroots clubs across England bring The FA’s five pillars of Respect the Standard to life. Nine clubs throughout the country have shared the behaviour-focused initiatives they take to promote positive change.

Claire Bennett founded Newhaven FC Ladies to give women from all walks of life a safe place to connect and grow on and off the pitch. She ensures that positive relationships among her players, staff, and opposing clubs remain at the forefront of the club’s behavioural approach.

My name is Claire and I am 53 years young! I have been involved with women’s and girls’ football since my daughters started playing in 1999. I was a typical football mum - freezing on the sidelines and an expert boot cleaner.

In 2019, I had the crazy idea to get fit and go to the gym. My eldest daughter, who had just returned from university, was struggling with her mental health. To give her focus, I asked her to coach nine mums from my other daughter’s football team with some basic drills. I hired a hall in Seaford (in Sussex), borrowed a ball and we turned up. Six weeks later, we did not want to give up! We loved it.

I quickly realised that this was going to be popular and I did not want to lose momentum in building this team.

We bought new balls, boots, pop-up goals and cones. We turned up, we learned new skills, we laughed, and we talked. Mums brought kids to the sessions and they sat on blankets or played in the park while their mums enjoyed an hour of freedom!

Each week brought a new woman and a new story. I soon realised we had opened not just a quick fix to get fit, but offered a safe place for women, mums, wives, partners, cancer survivors, domestic violence survivors, and mental health sufferers.

While we enjoyed the park and the surrounding areas, I began to feel we needed extra protection and enquired at a local club. We met with the chairman and explained our vision. We were accepted and Newhaven FC Ladies is still supported to this day.

Being a part of a club and affiliated opened many doors for us. We can now access local festivals run by The FA and small-sided tournaments.

With the rising popularity of women’s football in mind, we started fundraising (by making a naked calendar!), and organising games, tournaments, and cake stalls. We then purchased our first kit as we had been using the men’s hand-me-downs.

Strength To Strength

Our Walking Football team launched after some players were at risk of slipping back into isolation after the COVID-19 lockdown and injuries.

Today, Newhaven FC Ladies have over 50 registered players who regularly play in Over 60’s festivals, open age, and simple recreational games. We also entered a league for the first time for the 2024/25 season.

The recreational team is going from strength to strength. In 2023, we were given the opportunity to play in a more competitive league called the Flexileague. This was a more relaxed version of Sunday League football. We are currently in our second season and top of the table for our division!

We have a superb coaching team and it is my responsibility that they never feel overwhelmed, undermined, or taken advantage of. I always value and respect their decisions.

I have a strong support system within the club, including the support of a welfare officer and an understanding and selfless chairperson. Situations are dealt with delicately and promptly.

To do this, I have organised a small committee to listen to what the ladies want, so we can make it happen.

As a club, we have had to discipline and consequently act, however, this is seen as a last resort. If our code of conduct is violated, we have a duty of care to protect players and coaches.

Every month, I ask each player to rate how they are feeling from one to five so we can remain mindful of our players’ well-being. We have regular socials to air any opinions and ideas.

We have a brilliant relationship with other local recreational teams. We offer support and often go to watch local games. The managers from each club have a separate group chat where we discuss problems, help each other, and offer support and guidance.

We have a deaf goalkeeper so we learned to sign to keep her included. We have a domestic violence survivor, so we learned to keep our comments gentle and voices low.

We have lawyers, cleaners, care workers, and drivers. No one is judged or undervalued and, as both a club and as individuals, we have a strong ethos of making people feel comfortable, safe, and welcome.