Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT) marked International Women’s Day (Sunday, March 8th 2026) by welcoming female pupils from six local primary schools to the club’s Training Ground for a Premier League Primary Stars football tournament.
Alongside the tournament, which was won by Middle Park Primary School, the girls had the opportunity to meet first-team players Carla Humphrey, Lizzie Waldie and Gloria Siber, as well as members of Charlton Women’s non-playing staff, who all took part in a Q&A about their careers and experiences in the game.
International Women’s Day provides a yearly opportunity for both Charlton and CACT to bring together women and girls of all ages while celebrating the female role models within the club. For tournament participants Isabel and Zara from St Thomas A Beckett School, the day offered exactly that, as they enjoyed taking part in the competition and meeting the Charlton Women players.
Isabel said: “The tournament was really fun and I’d like to say thank you to CACT for hosting it. Hearing from the professional players taught me to keep going and chase your dreams, and it was really nice to meet them.”
Zara added: “What I took away from meeting the players was to never give up, even when times get tough. A lot of the players said their inspirational female role models were their mums and other female footballers, so whenever times get tough for me, I’ll also look to other female footballers for inspiration.”
Reflecting on the Q&A with the pupils, forward Humphrey said: “The girls we met were full of questions about our careers, our pathways and what inspired us. International Women’s Day is important because it gives us the chance to share our experiences. When I was younger there weren’t full-time professional teams like there are now, so it was nice for the girls to see that if they work hard and have the ability, becoming a professional footballer is possible. It’s great that we can be visible role models and show them that.”
Humphrey, who is currently working towards a return to the pitch after recently welcoming a baby boy, also spoke about the female role models who have inspired her: “I think International Women’s Day is a nice moment to reflect on who inspires us, which is something we were asked about today. One of those people is my mum, and another is Hannah Blundell, who returned to playing football after pregnancy. There are lots of examples, but she’s a friend whose journey I’ve followed closely and she has really inspired me and made me think that returning to playing is possible.”