Janie Frampton OBE

Janie’s journey in sports began as a football referee at grassroots level, breaking barriers and rising to become the second woman to officiate in the men’s professional game in England where she also represented her country internationally on 33 occasions. Beyond her refereeing accomplishments, she emerged as one of only eight women FIFA Referee Instructors in the world, traversing continents to share her passion for utilising football to foster skill development.

In collaboration with her co-founder, Janie laid the foundations for Team You Development a social enterprise formed to support the development of people and organisations. Through Team You Development, Janie has designed and delivered many national and international projects and programmes across Leadership, E.D.& I. Self-growth, Soft and Social skills and creating Strategic and Structural Frameworks for growth, for clients such as:

· World Athletics – designing and delivering a global gender leadership programme, mentoring, one to one coaching and Train the Trainer.

· The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) – restructuring part of the organisation and embedding E.D.& I. across their functions.

· The Confederation of Professional Golf (CPG) – undertook a complete board review and implemented substantial change.

· Saudi Arabia Football Federation – writing and implementing the strategy for their elite officials and creating detailed reports for the Asian Football Confederation.

· Asian Football Development – a project led by Prince Ali Bin Hussain of Jordon to overturn the FIFA ban on women wearing hijab in football.

· Birmingham City University – developing an E.D. & I. programme for their staff and graduate + students.

Janie currently holds the positions of Vice President of the International Federation for Sports Officials and the Greater Birmingham Global Chamber of Commerce, as well as being the Patron for the Muslim Women’s Network UK and the First Ambassador for Women in Football, also for the last 4 years, sitting on the Home Office SO15 Counter Terrorism Advisory Board, as well as these current roles, Janie has invested many years serving on a variety of boards and committees across a myriad of sports and organisations.

Janie’s advocacy for fairness, particularly in the realm of gender equality, is deeply ingrained in her core values and actions. Throughout her illustrious career, she consistently championed these principles, often standing alone in the face of adversity. Her journey toward equity was marked by instances of abuse, bullying, and threats of violence directed at both her and her family – experiences she endured with unyielding determination. Recognising the need for change in the sporting world, Janie’s focus has been on empowering women to pursue their dreams, becoming an exemplar of women supporting women.

Janie Frampton’s journey is a testament to her personal strength, determination, and resilience. Her tireless commitment to gender equality has not only reshaped the landscape for women in sports but has also served as an inspiration for countless others to challenge established norms. Janie’s narrative is one of triumph over adversity, resilience in the pursuit of justice, and an enduring legacy that transcends the confines of the sporting world.