Imy Saunders

Imy works as a Club Football Coordinator at Bloomsbury Football Foundation, a grassroots football charity that uses the power of the beautiful game to transform the lives of thousands of young people across London every week. Through the physical, mental, and social benefits of playing football, Bloomsbury improves the well-being of some of the most underprivileged young people in our capital.
Over the past year, Imy has developed a girls' specific strategy aimed at getting as many girls on the pitch as possible. Currently, Bloomsbury Football works with around 800 girls a week, but the foundation’s ‘Girls Strategy’ aims to increase this number to 10,000 by 2028. This would result in the foundation working with an equal split of boys and girls, constituting a pioneering approach to levelling the playing field and growing women’s football. Imy has been at the forefront of this initiative and is now responsible for implementing the operational strategy to make it happen.
To kick this off, Imy spoke at Bloomsbury Football Foundation’s official Girls Strategy Launch. The event was attended by 150 high-profile figures from across the sport, media, business, politics, and charity sectors. Opening the evening, Imy spoke passionately about the multitude of barriers women face in football and highlighted key areas of focus to address these problems. The solutions discussed included greater provision for female-specific products, as well as increased recognition of the obstacles girls face from a young age that prevent inclusivity within the game.
It was a truly inspiring evening, and the Girls Strategy that Imy is responsible for is an incredibly ambitious attempt to break down barriers, get more girls on the pitch and enjoying football.