In partnership with West London Chambers of Commerce and Mama Haven, the Foundation welcomed 70 local businesswomen, providing the opportunity to network, form connections and share experience.

Only 37% of the self-employed workforce are women and the Chelsea Foundation is committed to supporting this underrepresented group with workshops and networking opportunities.

Last year, the Foundation hosted a women-only workshop at our Cobham training ground focusing on the topic of Adapting to Change. Chelsea Women players Ashley Lawrence, Sophie Ingle and Zecira Musovic attended and took part in a Q&A, sharing personal experiences on how they manage change within their lives and how they are preparing for a future in business after their playing career.

In conjunction with club partner Cadburys, Chelsea Foundation facilitated a female-only competition where participants could win the opportunity to promote their business on the advertising boards at Chelsea Women’s Kingsmeadow Stadium.

Lola De Kumolo and her business Ocean Mint UK won the competition, with her advertising board proudly on display at Kingsmeadow this season.

Chelsea Foundation has also hosted female-only online learning sessions including a reproductive health workshop with Girlyouneedtoknowthis co-founder Clara Ali Ghalib.

Recently the Foundation ran a female-only Canva course, giving Edge of the Box participants the opportunity to learn and develop important visual communication, creative and design skills.

Sam Gaskin-Kemp, head of education and community at Chelsea Foundation, said: ‘Chelsea Enterprise is a multifaceted scheme, providing opportunities for young people and adults to engage in business and entrepreneurship. We have been delighted with the engagement in our female-only events and to see the growth in the number of women attending Chelsea Enterprise sessions. The Foundation looks forward to further developing its commitment to Women in Business.’

Chelsea Foundation’s Edge of the Box Club was launched in 2015 and over the past nine years, an impressive 7,000 business start-ups have come through the programme. The scheme is part of the wider Chelsea Enterprise initiative, which includes the Junior Edge of the Box Club and Enterprise Incubator Course, supporting local participants to build a business plan. Chelsea Enterprise has also recently delivered an eight-day bespoke course for refugees and asylum seekers living in London.

The Edge of the Box Club is supported by the Premier League and the Professional Footballers’ Association. Administered through the Premier League Charitable Fund, the funding helps football clubs to tackle inequality and respond to local challenges, supporting people and their communities to be more inclusive.