Female footballers in North Yorkshire were celebrating following the announcement of £50,000 boost for the game from the Football Foundation, the UK's largest sports chairty.

The cash boost to the North Yorkshire Sports Parternship, in conjunction with Sport England's Active Sports Programme, will fund a development officer for the region to organise coaching and competitions for young players, in addition, a North Yorkshire league will be established for female players.

Building on the work began in a number of local authorities the partnership will be targeting over 1,000 new players in the region and links will be developed with clubs and schools throughout North Yorkshire to provide professional coaching and soccer festivals.

Andrew Gair, Active Sports Manager for the North Yorkshire Partnership, said: "The funding form the Football Foundation will enable the sport here in North Yorkshire to build on the foundations established through our Partnership Youth Games, local authority and school coaching programme.

"The new officer will bring the sport together and lead its ongoing development across England's largest sports partnership."

To ensure the long-term sustainability of the programme 75 new coaches will be recruited and developed over the next five years and 100 volunteers will be recruited and given support and training to support the development of up to 27 girls football clubs.

The Footbal Foundation is dedicated to revitalising the grass roots of the game, constructing modern football facilities, developing football as a force for social cohesion and as a vehicle for education in communities throughout the country.

Funded by the FA Premier League, the Football Association, Sport England and the Government, the Football Foundation is the nation's largest sports charity with a £53m budget going straight into the heart of football.

Many Ayres, director of community development at the foundation, welcomed this latest boost for football in Yorkshire.

"The dramatic rise of the women's game means that football is now the most popular sport played by females in this country and the Football Foundation is delighted to be playing a major role in its development," said Ayres.