Empower Girls Squash Foundation Founder; Deon Saffery:

Now why did I want to create the foundation? Last year I went into 4 schools and saw over 400 children, most of which had never even heard of squash and more importantly very few girls had. The enjoyment on these kids faces when they were playing squash blew my mind and it made me so happy that I immediately approached more schools to get more kids playing. That's when the barriers became apparent to me, all these schools and kids wanted to get involved but they had no funding to do so, the kids wanted to play squash at the clubs but the parents couldnt afford the club fees. So, my aim is to make all this free for schools to take part in and give kids the opportunity to play after school.

I was known on the professional squash tour as being the light of the show, happy, smiling and a great athlete on the squash court. My time for competing has now passed, but I would like to lead the way for other girls and women to be given the opportunity to create a better life for themselves and maybe also achieve any dreams they may have in Squash. My own dream now is to give other girls the opportunity to shine the way I did when playing squash.

The Empower Foundation will be created to not only raise the ambitions and to empower girls and women but also to introduce them to the amazing game of squash. In 2020 the Commonwealth Games will be coming to Birmingham and Squash will be at the forefront of the Games as it bids again to become an Olympic Sport. We as a community need to get behind this great game and show why it deserves to be out there with all the other sports. It is a ferocious, healthy and social game that not only keeps you physically fit but mentally fit through a positive social environment