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Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Essex Walking Football League celebrates growth
The Essex Women’s Walking Football League are celebrating their contribution to the local community after receiving their Social Value Impact Calculation from the Essex County FA, putting the positive impact of recreational league football in the spotlight.
The league grew to 14 teams and 201 registered players during the 2025/26 season, representing a 16.67% increase in teams and an impressive 95.15% growth in player numbers compared with the previous campaign. Behind those figures are opportunities for women over 40 to stay active, build friendships and enjoy competitive football, including those who are completely new to the sport.
Obtained as part of pre-
Essex County FA Football Development Officer, Emma Burden, explained: “It’s great to see that all the hard work from both the league and the clubs within the EWWFL is reflected in their social value impact. The league prides itself on providing opportunities for women to play who, through injury or stage in life, might need to now play Walking Football.
“As a Development Team, we are excited to see the league flourish and grow. Seeing teams enter the league from all across the county is the best part of the programme, as it means opportunities to play are becoming more and more accessible to all. A massive thank you to all involved for getting the league to this stage.”
League Chair, Debbie Leitch, added: “For us, these figures represent far more than statistics. They demonstrate the opportunities we are creating for women over 40 to continue playing competitive football, stay active, build friendships and be part of a team, while also welcoming women who are completely new to the sport.”
There is also plenty of optimism for the future, with expressions of interest already being received from new teams for the 2027 season. As interest continues to develop, the league are looking forward to helping even more women to discover the enjoyment and sense of belonging grass roots football can offer.
Debbie continued: “We fully expect our social value to continue to grow as more women discover that football really does have a place for them at every age. We are proud to be an England Football Accredited League, proud of the community we have built and incredibly proud of the positive impact the EWWFL is having across Essex.”