Brockwell United are the definition of a club that transcends the world of football. BUFC – also known as The Swans – is a grassroots football club for women and non-binary players founded in Brixton, South London.

Founded in 2017 by husband and wife Ximene and Andrew Weaver-Gilbert, after Ximene struggled to find a beginners friendly football team, they joked about starting their own. Andrew hatched a bet: if Ximene could get a team together within two weeks, he would coach. Good marketing, great friends and trusting local players meant that, to Andrew’s surprise, Brockwell United was born.

Brockwell United’s mission is to empower women and non-binary players by inspiring a love of football - especially in beginners or returners to the sport who were either bullied out of the game at a young age or forced to stop due to the lack of opportunities and facilities.

The Swans aspires to be the friendliest club in London and has implemented a ‘Removing Barriers to Entry’ commitment, to encourage more women and non-binary people to get into the sport. The club’s ‘Removing Barriers to Entry’ commitment includes free spaces for those on Universal Credit and reserved spaces in the team for trans and non-binary people, people of colour and people living with a disability. 

Brockwell United’s Chair, Ellie Levitt says: “For us, football is about community and providing a safe space, something which women and non-binary people don’t always experience with football. The new kit is hugely important to the club and represents that community spirit and empowerment as well as our growth – first starting out as a small group of friends to celebrating our fifth birthday and being one of the biggest South East London grassroots football clubs, with 80 players. 

Their new kit that celebrates their fifth anniversary is exclusively sponsored by MOMA Foods and pays homage to the classic football shirts of the 90s with the collar and geometric shapes in the shorts. The kit was designed by illustrator Donatella Esposito, whose work takes inspiration from growing up in the South of Italy, surrounded by shells, sea treasures, flowers and ceramics.

As we see interest in women’s football at the national and local level continue to grow, we hope moments like the Women’s Euros tournament will inspire the next generation of women and non-binary people to see this as a sport for them – BUFC will be waiting with open arms.

Photography by Lucien Phoenix.