Gina Gardiner & Friends with Rylee Doe on Building Community Through Sport

Rylee Doe is the Commercial & Marketing Manager at Southend United Football Club, who have launched Draw Her Into The Game, a new campaign inviting children across Essex and beyond to design the club’s first-ever female mascot – a figure intended to represent the future of women and girls in football. The winning design will be officially revealed at Southend United Ladies’ inaugural women’s fixture at Roots Hall Stadium, when they face Colchester United in a special exhibition match on Saturday, May 16, 2026.  The initiative invites children aged 16 or under to create a mascot that reflects Southend United’s values of joy through football, togetherness and community, while celebrating the club’s seaside identity and its growing women’s program. Entries can be submitted through schools or digitally, with artwork showcased by the club throughout the campaign period. Former England international and broadcaster Sue Smith, alongside javelin world-record holder Fatima Whitbread, have been announced as ambassadors for the campaign, lending national support and underlining its wider message around representation, confidence and opportunity for young people. Link:  https://linktr.ee/southendunited