KATE OSBORNE MP: We must fight to end inequality in funding and support women and girls football at the grassroots as well as on international stage

Only a few days ago, Newcastle United’s Women lifted the National League Division One North title, sealing their promotion to the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division.

Women's football is going from strength to strength with grassroots football having a surge of interest in participants, with over three million women and girls taking up the sport in England, according to the FA.

The North East is renowned for being a hotbed of football and women's participation is prominent across our local teams in Jarrow, Hebburn, Boldon and South Shields.

Teams like the Jarra lasses Under-15s who last night played at Perth Green in their final home game of the season and Hebburn Town Women FC and many more – I am looking forward to getting to as many games as possible.

In Jarrow earlier this year, Lioness Jill Scott MBE had the modern Perth Green football pitches site named after her – pitches that will undoubtedly benefit Lionesses of the future.

The success of the Lionesses changed the landscape for the women’s and girls’ games when they lifted the Euros trophy last year, changing the path for those who want to or currently play football here or up and down the country.

Viewing figures for women’s matches are on the rise, locally and nationally, and interest is set to reach an all-time high at this year's World Cup in Australia, with high hopes the tournament will inspire more young women to pursue their dreams of being the next Jill Scott, Chloe Kelly or Ellen White.

We must fight to end inequality in funding and support women and girls football at the grassroots as well as on the international stage.

The Lionesses signed an open letter to the Prime Minister asking for support to get more girls involved in football at school, not surprisingly we haven’t had much of a response.

We are a long way off from equality in the sport – this month a women’s football match was cancelled in favour of a bouncy castle party (the club concerned has since apologised) and we see health concerns in the England women’s team and locally raising again the issue of male-focused medical research and kit (most football boots are still designed for a male foot shape).

I will be raising these issues in Parliament and I was pleased to have been elected as Vice Chair of the Women's Football All-Party Parliamentary Group earlier this week. This Sunday I’ll be at the Women’s FA Cup Final at a sold-out Wembley between Chelsea and Manchester United.

I hope you, like me, will pop down and watch one of the brilliant local teams we have in South Tyneside and Gateshead – they really deserve our support!