Women will be allowed to play free football at Powerleague sites around the country as the five-a-side operator attempts to grow its female customer base.

The move is part of a wider initiative, titled #SheScores, which has been launched by Powerleague to generate interest among adult females. Women will be allowed to hire a pitch for free an hour each week, all day at weekends and between 9am-5pm weekdays.

Powerleague is also launching the first Women’s Euro League – a format which includes a weekly game night with teams playing two matches of 25 minutes each. The winners of the league will earn an all-expenses paid trip to the Netherlands for the Women’s European Championships.

In addition, women new to the game will be invited to take part in a free weekly Soccercise session that teaches basics skills and includes a 60-minute aerobic workout. The routine was developed by the Football Association (FA).

To encourage participation, Powerleague has appointed a team of Women’s Ambassadors across the UK who will work with the FA at county level to tailor programmes to suit local women.

“Participation in women’s football is on the increase and we want women players to feel welcomed and at home in our centres,” said Powerleague chief executive Rupert Campbell. “We’ve spoken to players and understand there can be barriers to playing five-a-side so we’ve looked at how we can redesign five-a-side to overcome some of those obstacles.”

FA participation and development director Kelly Simmons added: “It’s excellent news that Powerleague are working to attract more women into playing five-a-side and crucially, removing some of the barriers that might prevent them taking part.”