A women’s walking football club in Wrexham is set to expand its work supporting physical and mental wellbeing, thanks to funding from a scheme that uses the ill-gotten gains of criminals to support grassroots projects.

Coedpoeth Dragonesses Walking Football Club, which offers gentle exercise sessions for women over the age of 30, has received funding through the Your Community, Your Choice initiative.

The scheme, backed by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin, North Wales Police, and the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT), allows the public to vote on which community projects receive financial support.

The club’s ‘Football in the Community’ project was one of the winners in the latest round of public voting. The money will help cover the cost of hall hire, football equipment and training aids…

The Dragonesses currently have 18 registered members, aged between 33 and 70, and were originally formed in Coedpoeth. They now welcome women from surrounding areas, including Minera, Brymbo, Chester and Wrexham.

The group was founded during the Covid-19 pandemic to combat loneliness and promote mental and physical wellbeing. The sessions provide an outlet for women to come together, form friendships, and engage in low-impact exercise.