Essex’s young women with a passion for football now have an extraordinary opportunity to step into leadership roles and make a lasting impact on their communities. The Football Association’s flagship programme, Rising Leaders, has opened applications for 2026 — and Essex is firmly in the spotlight.
What Is Rising Leaders?
Rising Leaders is a learning and development programme created by The FA specifically for ethnically diverse young women aged 16 to 19. Funded by The Football Association and delivered in partnership with AoC Sport (Association of Colleges), the initiative sits at the heart of England Football’s commitment to increasing diversity among female volunteers, coaches and leaders within the grassroots game.
The programme is designed to inspire confidence, build leadership skills and equip participants with the tools they need to become role models and changemakers — both on and off the pitch. At its core, Rising Leaders seeks to empower women and girls from historically underrepresented backgrounds, sending a clear message: the future of football needs more women at every level, and it starts with them.
How the Programme Works
The 2026 edition of Rising Leaders runs between February and May 2026, structured around two immersive residential weekends and a series of development activities in between.
Residential 1: 13–16 February 2026
The opening residential is designed to foster strong relationships among the cohort. Participants spend three nights together, taking part in team-building exercises, understanding one another’s values and mapping out future aspirations. The weekend sets the tone for the months ahead — building trust, shared purpose and a sense of belonging.
Residential 2 and Graduation: 21–24 May 2026
The second residential marks the culmination of the programme. Participants celebrate their achievements, expand their professional networks and graduate as fully-fledged Rising Leaders. This weekend also offers the opportunity to reflect on personal growth and plan the next steps in each participant’s coaching and leadership journey.
Between Residentials
During the intervening months, participants are far from idle. The programme includes reflective tasks, continued guidance from FA staff and additional specialist coach development workshops. Rising Leaders also receive ongoing CPD (Continuing Professional Development) opportunities, ensuring the learning extends well beyond the residential weekends.
What Participants Gain
The Rising Leaders experience is comprehensive and entirely free of charge. All accommodation and meals during the residentials are provided by The FA. Here is what the programme offers:
- Two inspiring three-night residentials with full board
- Workshops and activities focused on leadership, self-belief and personal growth
- Specialist coach development sessions to build practical skills and confidence
- Ongoing FA support, including CPD opportunities
- A chance to make a tangible impact in the local football community by delivering coaching sessions and inspiring others
The programme is not merely theoretical. Participants are expected to put their learning into practice, delivering sessions within their local football communities and serving as visible role models for the next generation of girls in the game.
Who Can Apply?
To join the 2026 Rising Leaders cohort, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Age: 16–19 years old (aged 16 as of 1 September 2025)
- Background: Ethnically diverse female (The FA adopts this classification to refer to members of communities within the UK who identify as other than white, consistent with the ONS definition)
- Passion: A genuine enthusiasm for coaching football
- Experience: Either an aspiring coach or already actively involved in coaching
- Availability: Must be able to attend both residential weekends in full
Living within one of The FA’s designated Women and Girls’ priority areas — including Greater Manchester, East Lancashire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Birmingham, Leicester or London — is desirable but not essential.
Only 16 places are available across the country, making this an exclusive and highly sought-after opportunity.
Why Essex Matters
Essex County FA has been actively promoting the programme locally, recognising the transformative potential it holds for young women across the county. The invitation aligns with a broader push by Essex County FA to create pathways for all football participants, grow leadership opportunities and ensure the local game remains vibrant, inclusive and empowering.
This focus was reinforced at the recent ‘Your Game’ event held at FitzWimarc School in Rayleigh on 18 February 2026, where dozens of young leaders aged 14–24 explored coaching qualifications, referee courses and volunteering roles within grassroots football. The event, supported by the Essex County FA Youth Forum, built on the national England Football Family programme and provided a platform for the next generation to connect, learn and build confidence.
Rising Leaders sits comfortably alongside these wider efforts, offering a specialist route for ethnically diverse young women who want to go further — not just as players, but as coaches, mentors and community leaders.
The Bigger Picture
Rising Leaders is part of The FA’s broader strategy to address longstanding inequalities in the women’s and girls’ game. Despite significant progress in recent years — driven by the success of the Lionesses and growing grassroots participation — coaching and leadership roles remain disproportionately occupied by men. Ethnic diversity within these roles is even more limited.
By investing in programmes like Rising Leaders, The FA aims to build a pipeline of diverse female talent that will shape English football for decades to come. The programme’s emphasis on self-belief, personal growth and practical coaching skills ensures that participants leave not only with qualifications but with the confidence to use them.
How to Get Involved
Applications for the 2026 programme closed on Monday 5 January 2026. However, for those who missed this year’s deadline, The FA runs the programme annually, and expressions of interest for future cohorts are always welcomed.
For more information, prospective applicants from Essex can contact the Essex County FA directly at [email protected] or visit the official Rising Leaders page on the England Football website at www.englandfootball.com/participate/women-and-girls/rising-leaders.
The future of football starts with you. Become a Rising Leader and help shape the next generation of women in the game.
