Gabby Logan, co-presenter of the BBC’s Match of the Day and Sports Personality of the Year, has taken on a new challenge as an ambassador for the Bloomsbury Football Foundation charity. Just a few months ago, she was appointed as part of the three-person hosting team for the Beeb’s Premier League and Champions League highlights shows, along with Mark Chapman and Kelly Cates, after long-time presenter Gary Lineker left last season.
Logan, Chapman and Cates have shared hosting duties since Lineker’s departure, and all three maintain other responsibilities. For example, Rogan is also participating in Amazon Prime’s Champions League matchday broadcast. Now 52, Logan has teamed up with Bloomsbury. In her new role, she will support the charity’s aim to get more than 20,000 young people involved in football by 2028, at least half of whom are girls.
In announcing her participation, Logan highlighted England’s historic victory in the Women’s European Championship. The Lionesses successfully defended their title in Switzerland, becoming the first senior English team, men’s or women’s, to win a major international tournament on foreign soil.
“Seeing first-hand the rapid growth of women’s football and the historic success of the Lionesses over the years has further strengthened my commitment to championing equal opportunity in sport,” Logan said.
“We are delighted to be supporting Bloomsbury Football Foundation in its mission to help more young girls across London access the transformative power of football, and to inspire the next generation to pursue their dreams on and off the pitch.”
Charlie Hyman, founder and CEO of Bloomsbury Football, added: “Welcoming Gabby as an ambassador is another important step in supporting our aim to increase the participation of women across our programmes.”
“Throughout her career, Gabby has been a strong advocate for equal access to sport and the life-changing benefits it brings, and we are excited about the impact she will have as we work together to change the lives of thousands of young people through the magic of soccer.”
Bloomsbury has launched a number of initiatives in recent years, including supporting blind football and working with La Liga. The organization also runs sessions for refugees and asylum seekers, with support from former England Under-21 player Fabrice Muamba, who came to the UK as a refugee as a child.
“Soccer is really just a vehicle,” Hyman told the Mirror while discussing the refugee and asylum seeker programme. “That’s what they’re inspired to do and what they’re trying to do. We’re thinking about how to develop them as people.”
Founded in 2018, Bloomsbury Football Foundation will be working with up to 5,000 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in London as of summer 2024.
In her new role with the charity, Logan will attend fundraising events and observe the foundation’s work first-hand during sessions run by the program.
