Newport-born boxer Lauren Price has gone back to her roots to see how National Lottery funding is helping girls follow their dreams of sporting success.

To mark the National Lottery’s 30th birthday, Lauren visited Caerphilly Dragons – an all-female football club – as well as the VGA Gymnastics Club near Crumlin.

As one of Wales’ most successful female athletes, Lauren acts as an inspiration to every young girl with sporting ambitions.

Growing up, she was always told by her grandmother to reach for the moon and that if she fell short, she would land on the stars.

At just eight-years-old, as part of a school project, she wrote that she wanted to become a kickboxing world champion, play international football for Wales and go to the Olympic Games. 

By the time Lauren was 27, she had achieved all three of her goals – culminating with an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. She has added more world titles since moving into professional boxing. 

A £2,500 Lottery grant was awarded to the Dragons by Sport Wales earlier this year so that more volunteers could complete Football Association of Wales courses required to become coaches, enabling the club to expand. 

The growth of the women and girls’ game is being supported by so much more than grants to individual clubs.

Thanks to players of the National Lottery, Sport Wales is able to invest in innovative national governing bodies, national partners and local authorities. This year alone, it has distributed £10,247,475 of National Lottery money to partners including the FAW.   

During her visit to the VGA Gymnastics Club, Lauren heard how volunteers from the club are teaming up with StreetGames to run the ‘Us Girls’ programme which aims to increase physical activity among young women and girls aged 13 to 19.

She said: “I love how StreetGames are making it easier for more girls to take part in sport and are also giving them a voice. 

“It’s really important for girls to get out of the house, be active and socialise with others.

“For me personally, when I got involved in sport as a kid my confidence grew. My schoolwork also improved. You make friends and come out of your comfort zone.”