The reason why I want to build these women’s homes is because I was once a survivor of domestic violence so I know firsthand what it looks like to be both saved and failed by systems in place for support.
At 5 years old I was put into a children’s home in London whilst my mum left and moved to Rugby to escape my abusive father. Thankfully she had somewhere to go in Rugby and a year later she collected me from the home to come and live with her.
Twenty years ago I was in an abusive relationship and ended up having a nervous breakdown. I also had to leave London and I moved to Rugby to live with my mum. I had somewhere to go but not everyone has that option.
As you can see there’s a cycle. Well the cycle stops with me! If I can help the cycle stop for even one woman then my job is done.
Please donate and share this campaign so that we can provide a place of rest and solitude for the women who need it the most. Link in my bio. ❤️ #buildingthedream
I'm throwing it back to my @lorealparis Revitalift campaign! It was such a blessing to be involved in this. Who would've thought, little old Nat from Rugby was chosen as a face for L'Oreal! You can't tell me that dreams don't come true.🙌🏽
It's never too late to make your dreams come true. It can happen whether you're in your 40s, 50s or 60s but you're going to have to stop letting fear and procrastination derail you from your purpose. I do everything afraid.
2020 was a frustrating year for me because I was on my way to the US to be connected with the likes of Oprah, Denzel Washington, Tyler Perry, TD Jakes and more. Damn, you Covid! It's ok though, there's a time and a season for everything and nothing happens before it's time.
Am I afraid when I'm surrounded by these people? Sure, but you know what, God will place you exactly where you need to be and give you the strength to do what you need to do. So I'm here to tell you it's time to take action! We're not getting any younger.
The Next Step program is not for those who want to work solely on their mindset. Yes I will touch on that but we're not going to park there for too long. This program is for women who need less information and more implementation.
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a doer. When I get an idea I need to move on it. There's excitement in movement. There's fear in stagnation. We're not made to stay still. We're made to move! So let's get to it ladies. With our without you I'm moving but I would love to take you where I'm going.
If you're ready to move and take a step then click the link in my bio and if you're not that's ok too. Whenever you're ready - you know where I am.❤️ #TakeTheNextStep
If you would've told me at the beginning of the year that I would be meeting @michelleobama I would've said you were crazy! However, it has always been a dream of mine to meet this amazing woman who epitomises love, light, style and grace.
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She is everything you would hope she would be (and more!). I can not even begin to tell you how blessed I feel to have even been in her presence.
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I'll share more in a blog post and video but for now make sure you buy her book 'Becoming' which talks about her journey from South Side Chicago to The White House. It's a story that will inspire and motivate you and I want to encourage you and let you know that all things are possible if you just keep believing and have faith.
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She gave me a headsup on some of her plans for 2019 and a personal introduction to her Chief Of Staff - I honestly could not be happier and am truly grateful to have met this phenomenal woman! #GodIsGood #MichelleObamaVIP
Next up…. Sunday!
We’re exhausted but our heart is full. ❤️
What we created together at the Women’s Tournament was special. Not because everything was perfect, but because the day was full of heart. Full of people showing up for women’s football. Full of good energy, support, laughter, competitiveness and community.
I would personally like to say thank you.
Thank you to our amazing sponsors @leondeorouk and @logicomhub . Thank you to every team that came and gave everything on the pitch. Thank you to my team. Thank you to the volunteers who worked hard all weekend. Thank you to our amazing ground staff and refs. Thank you to the people who travelled, watched, supported, donated and encouraged us along the way.
PlayBrave has never just been a slogan to us here at Banbury United Women. It’s a mindset. It’s about giving women and girls the confidence to take up space, be themselves and believe they belong in football and in life. It’s about building opportunities where there weren’t enough before and creating something that people in our area can be proud of.
A lot of hard work goes into making days like this happen, but we love bringing teams together to compete in an environment which is fun and supportive.
This wasn’t just another tournament. It felt like a reminder that women and girls football is growing, the community around it is growing and people genuinely care about where this can go.
So thank you for being part of an amazing day and for helping us to build something bigger than football. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.
#PlayBrave always! ❤️⚽️
I honestly don’t even know where to begin after such an amazing weekend! Let’s start with Saturday.
What we witnessed at the Savills x Banbury United Men’s Tournament was so much bigger than football. It was people coming together to support a vision, a community standing behind women and girls, and proof that when people believe in something, incredible things can happen.
To every team, player, supporter and volunteer - thank you so much! Your support means more than you probably realise. Every conversation and donation helps us continue building opportunities for women and girls in Banbury, to enable them to grow in confidence and feel like they belong in football.
A huge thank you to Rob Stait at Savills for all of his support, belief and hard work in helping raise an amazing amount of money for our Women’s team. I am blown away.
People see the event itself, but they don’t always see the people behind the scenes who choose to back women’s football and help push it forward. Rob has done exactly that, and I’m genuinely so grateful.
This season has been one of the hardest but most rewarding journeys trying to build and grow this team. There have been challenges, setbacks and moments where giving up would have been easier, but weekends like this remind me exactly why we keep going.
Our ‘PlayBrave’ initiative is at the heart of everything we do. It’s about more than football. It’s about encouraging women and girls to step out of fear, believe in themselves, take up space and have the courage to chase opportunities they maybe never thought were possible.
Football has the power to change confidence, friendships, mental health and futures, and that’s why continuing to grow the women’s game is so important.
We are still building. Still pushing. Still fighting to create more opportunities and a pathway for women and girls football. And seeing so many people stand with us this weekend honestly meant everything. I’m humbled.
So a massive thank you from the bottom of my heart to the organisations who took part and for your donations. ❤️⚽️ #PlayBrave
Banbury United Women kicked off the Awards Night in style.
It was a night to celebrate the hard work, the growth, the resilience and the moments that have brought us together this season. This group has shown what it really means to be a team.
Massive congratulations to the award winners, and I’m so proud of every single player in this squad.
These awards are special, but the truth is every one of them has played a part in helping me to build something powerful @banburyunitedwomen .
Thank you for believing in the vision.❤️ #PlayBrave
Football was never designed with women in mind.
That’s exactly why women are changing it. ⚽✨
With **FIFA pushing for more women in coaching, the game is shifting.
But let’s be clear -
women have always been ready.
They just weren’t always allowed into the rooms where decisions are made.
That’s why I’m celebrating women like my friend, Natalie Louise-Brown,
the only Black woman on a football board right now.
Beyond the pitch.
Beyond the stands.
On the board. 👏🏾
This is what Beautiful Strength looks like:
✨ taking your seat
✨ holding your ground
✨ changing the game for those coming next
We are not waiting anymore.
#BeautifulStrength #WomenInFootball #FIFA #GameChanger #Leadership Representation WomenInLeadership Equity BlackWomenLead Football
Being invited by Warwick Business School and the University of Oxford to speak on the Beyond The Game panel at The Shard was such a special moment for me.
There was a real energy in the room. It wasn’t just people talking for the sake of it, it was an honest conversation with my fellow panellists André (Amazon/ex-Mercedes/Ferrari F1), Tim (CEO of Oxford United) and Samir (Applied AI). People really listening and building on each other’s experiences.
And the students were incredible. You could feel that they were really thinking about their place in the future of sport and business. The conversations afterwards meant a lot - hearing their reflections, their ambitions and their feedback is something I never take for granted. It’s those moments that remind me why it’s so important to say yes and share your journey.
It also made me reflect on what we’re building with Banbury United Women. Because so much of what we spoke about - leadership, creating opportunities, doing things differently - is exactly what we’re living every single day. This isn’t theory for us, it’s real life. Building something from the ground up, backing people, creating belief and opening doors for women and girls. In many ways, @banburyunitedwomen is a real example of those conversations in action.
And if I’m being completely honest, I nearly didn’t agree to speak. I only said yes two days before! That little voice still shows up, questioning whether I belong in rooms like that. But I showed up anyway. 🙏🏽
And it reminded me of something really important - you don’t need to be anything other than yourself. Speaking from real experience, being honest, being human, that’s what people connect with.
We spoke a lot about leadership and the future of the game, but my biggest takeaway was simple - there is space for all of us in these rooms and in this industry, even when your mind tries to tell you otherwise, and that’s exactly what we’re trying to create through Banbury United Women - more space, more opportunity, more belief.
So grateful to have been part of it. I left feeling inspired, hopeful and excited for what’s to come. The future really is bright!
Something special is happening @banburyunited on Saturday 9 May 2026 ⚽
We’re partnering with @savills to host a Men’s Football Tournament to raise funds for Banbury United Women.
And honestly, this is pretty unheard of in football.
Men’s teams coming together to support the women’s game doesn’t happen often – which makes this even more meaningful.
This idea was sparked by Rob Stait from Savills, a lifelong footballer who shared how much the game gave him – from confidence and friendships to incredible opportunities.
But it also made him reflect - how different would that journey have been if he’d been born a girl?
Rob said “The reality is, many of those opportunities simply wouldn’t have existed.
Thankfully, the game is changing. Women’s football is growing, stadiums are filling, and young girls can finally see that they belong in the game. But there’s still more to do.
This tournament is about being part of that change.
I’d like to thank Savills and our matchday sponsors for once again giving me the platform to support initiatives like this. The success of the previous two football tournaments, which raised money for inclusive community projects, has led to the opportunity to work with Natalie Brown and Banbury United.
Natalie is the only black female board director of a football club in the country, and I’m thrilled to collaborate with her for the benefit of building Banbury United’s women’s and girls’ teams. I’m incredibly proud to play a small part in giving something back to the female side of the beautiful game.”
We’re incredibly grateful to Savills for their support and proud to be working together to build something bigger for the future of women’s football.
If you’d like to enter a team or sponsor this tournament (or our Women’s Tournament on 10 May), email [email protected] #Savills
Yesterday felt like a gift! 😎
Actual sunshine and blue skies. It’s been SO long since we’ve had a proper day like that and you could literally feel the difference in everyone’s mood.
Living in the UK, we don’t always get enough of it (clearly 😅), so I’ve also started taking a Vitamin D supplement to support my levels because I’ve realised my health is the foundation of everything I’m trying to build. When my energy is low, everything feels harder.
Don’t underestimate what a bit of sun can do for your mind and your momentum.
More sunshine please!
Sunday was one of those days that will stay with me for a long time.
We only went and did it! @banburyunitedwomen won 7–1! Our first win of the season. And wow, what a win.
Not just because of the scoreline (though 7–1 will definitely be remembered), but because of everything that came before it.
This season hasn’t been easy. Tough losses. Tough conversations. Moments where it would’ve been so easy for heads to drop and belief to fade. But this group didn’t walk away. They kept showing up. Kept training. Kept backing each other when confidence was fragile and results weren’t going our way.
Before we even kicked a ball, everything was against us. Our stadium flooded (again), games called off, a mad scramble to find a venue… all while I was spending 14 hours in A&E after a concussion from slipping on the ice.
Then came the breakthrough. Game on. Hallelujah. Thank you @hornton_fc !🙏
I got home at 5am from hospital and no, it wasn’t advised to drive 50 mins to Banbury, but I always try to show up for my ladies when I can.
Boggy pitch. Cold. Low visibility. Me in white @adidaswomen trainers. 🫣
But from the first whistle, the energy was different. Brave on the ball. Players taking responsibility. Talking. Encouraging. Fighting for each other. There was freedom - like a team that remembered who they are and why they started.
It wasn’t perfect football. It never is, but it was honest. Courageous. Together. I was watching our Play Brave initiative come to life, and honestly, it was overwhelming.
Because wins like this don’t just appear. They’re built in the quiet moments. Cold training nights. Hard feedback. Weeks where you keep going when no one’s clapping.
This win is for every player who doubted herself but pulled on her boots anyway. For Mark, who kept believing when it would’ve been easier not to, and for everyone who kept saying, “Stay in it. Your time will come.”
I woke up sore, exhausted, and with zero energy but I’m so glad I went. There was no place I’d rather have been.
Proud doesn’t even cover it! ❤️ #PlayBrave
