PayPal welcomes ‘Summer of Sport’ by teaming up with the England women’s football team
The summer of sport officially kicks off as PayPal teams up with the England women’s football team, The Lionesses.
PayPal became the Official Payments Partner of The Football Association (FA) in 2019 to invest in grassroots community football, the first milestone of which saw the shift from cash to digital payments through The FA Matchday App, which enables millions of grassroots players to pay their match fees with their smartphones.
Now, as the nation holds its breath for the summer of football and in celebration of achievements in women’s football so far, PayPal and The Lionesses have teamed up in a new short film featuring England Lioness, Demi Stokes, alongside the St Johns Deaf women’s football team* and graduates of Football Beyond Borders (FBB) Girls Programme**.
Part of the brand’s new PayPal It Your Way campaign, which taps into the emotions and optimism of younger generations as we enter summer, the film celebrates the unbreakable bond and achievements that connect a group of trailblazing women from the football community. It reflects on how far they’ve come, and their hopes and inspiration as the nation prepares for where women’s football will go next.
To further demonstrate our commitment to grassroots football, PayPal has built an ongoing relationship with Football Beyond Borders (FBB), who work with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to help them finish school with the skills and grades to make a successful transition into adulthood.
The partnership has raised £130,000 so far, which has supported the first football sessions for girls nationwide and its ‘Participant to CEO’ graduate programme. Now for the month of July, PayPal will support FBB once again to continue fuelling the growth of women’s football, by donating £1 for any eligible purchase made through PayPal on Nike from now until the end of July, up to £35,0001.
Carmen Derosas, Marketing Director at PayPal, comments: “We’re at a huge moment in the football calendar and, what’s more, it’s an opportunity to champion our female role models on home turf. This moment doesn’t come around too often, so we wanted to create a campaign that’s fitting for the occasion.
“We are proud of this partnership as it truly celebrates the successes of women’s football so far, but importantly, our commitment to growing the women’s game doesn’t stop when the tournament ends. This is why we’re supporting Football Beyond Borders with PayPal Checkout donations online at Nike GB, so when you use PayPal, you’re powering more possibilities in women’s football this summer. We’re all rooting for The Lionesses and look forward to seeing women’s football inspire more young people to follow in their footsteps.”
Lioness, Demi Stokes, concludes: “It’s a privilege to be part of a campaign that not only champions women’s football, but also the incredible community that makes the game – including the inspiring ladies from disability football and the next generation of players from FBB Girls Programme – making it easier for them to participate in something they love.
“It’s more important than ever to shine a light on the progress and ambitions of the women’s game, on and off the pitch. The work PayPal is doing with Football Beyond Borders is providing more talented young women (and men) with the chance to excel in the game, and the skills to thrive in the classroom. So they have greater opportunities for their future.”
Learn more about the stars of PayPal’s latest campaign:
Demi Stokes
England and Manchester City Women FC defender, Demi, found her love (and skills) for football at school, joining in with the boys having a kick about in the playground. This turned into joining the schools’ boys football team, eventually becoming its captain. She recalls playing a rival school, where one boy kept kicking her throughout the game. Shaking it off and focusing on what mattered most, her team won but Demi also won an apology from the boy afterwards. Today her hard work has truly paid off, as this summer you’ll be seeing Demi playing for England on the world’s biggest stage, in what’s set to be a spectacular summer for women’s football.
*St Johns Deaf Women’s Football Club
The ladies football section of St John's Deaf Club started in 1913 and is still going strong today with over 30 players in the first team and a reserves team who attend training and matches. Part of the European Deaf Champions League and affiliated with Hertfordshire County Football Association,
St John's Deaf Club’s ambition is to be strong in sports and aims to grow both the Adult and the Youth teams across 11-, 7- and 5-a-side football, as well as futsal.
**Football Beyond Borders (FBB)
FBB works with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who are disengaged at school, helping them finish school with the skills and grades to make a successful transition into adulthood. They do this by providing long-term, intensive support, built around relationships and young people’s passions, in the classroom and beyond.
1PayPal will donate £1 to support FBB for every eligible PayPal transaction at Nike.com. Ends 31/07/22 or once the cap of £35k has been reached. T&Cs apply.