Record-breaking Aylesbury star Ellen White meets Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to mark International Women's Day
and live on Freeview channel 276
Aylesbury’s record-breaking former England football star Ellen White met with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to mark International Women’s Day.
Yesterday (7 March), England’s all-time leading goalscorer was interviewed alongside the Prime Minister, I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here winner Jill Scott and reigning Sports Personality of the Year, Beth Mead.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdStars from the Lionesses team that claimed England’s first major tournament victory since 1966 were invited to Downing Street to mark the announcement of Government funding supporting schoolgirls participation in sport.
After England won the European Championships at Wembley on 31 July, the team wrote an open letter to the Government calling for all girls to be allowed to play football at school.
All 23 members of the squad signed the letter asking for greater support for female PE teachers and legislation that would ensure girls complete at least two hours of PE each week.
More than £600 million in funding will be provided over the next two academic years and the Government has enforced the England squad’s two hours of PE suggestion.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAn additional £57 million has been allocated by the Government for the construction of more sports school facilities and halls throughout the UK.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Ellen said: “We saw from the Euro win how important and how excited all the girls were, even boys were, to play football so we feel really proud that they’ve got that equal opportunity to play sport, and play football in schools.”
The superstar striker who grew up in Aylesbury’s, struggles for acceptance playing sport have been well-documented. A number of people spotted and shared an old Bucks Herald cover over the summer which showed a despondent nine-year-old who could no longer play football.
Thankfully, getting kicked out of a boys’ football league at nine, did not stop White from achieving great things at the highest levels of the game.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdSince leading the line for England en route to their historic victory, the 33-year-old has retired from football, announced that she is pregnant and been an appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).