Anita “Fuzzy” White CBE – A Kingsley Alumna Who Changed Women’s Sport

In July 2025, Kingsley alumna Anita “Fuzzy” White proudly received a CBE at Windsor Castle, presented by Princess Anne, recognising over 40 years of dedication to women and sport. This honour celebrates her tireless work to create equality in sport, both on and off the field.

From Edgehill Courts to World Cup Glory

Before she became a global champion for women in sport, Anita’s journey began at Edgehill College, now part of Kingsley Devon. Known for her speed, skill, and leadership, Anita was a phenomenal hockey player and an all-around athlete. As Austen House Games Captain, she helped lead her team to victory in cups and awards in 1961–62, an era remembered fondly for both academic and sporting triumphs. She soon rose to School Games Captain, foreshadowing her ability to lead at the highest levels. Her early passion, teamwork, and discipline laid the foundations for her future success.

Anita comments “ I consider myself very fortunate to have been educated at Edgehill in the late 50s and early 60s. I loved all sports and participated in many after school activities that were available thanks to the generosity and dedication of our teachers. An all girls school staffed almost exclusively by women, we took women’s leadership as a given. In all, Edgehill gave me a fantastic foundation for my future life and career”

In 1975, Anita reached a defining milestone, captaining the England Women’s Hockey Team to victory in the Women’s Hockey World Cup. At a time when women’s sport received little recognition, this achievement marked her as both an elite athlete and an inspiring leader.

Four Decades of Transforming Women’s Sport

After her playing career, Anita turned her energy toward advocacy and leadership. She co‑founded Women in Sport, the UK’s leading charity championing equality for women and girls in every aspect of sport. She also helped establish the International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG), now the largest global network for gender equality in sport.

Through the Anita White Foundation, she has supported women leaders, coaches, and initiatives across the globe, from grassroots hockey in Malawi to programmes empowering young women in Papua New Guinea and Uganda.

A Lasting Legacy

Anita’s CBE is a recognition not only of her personal achievements but of her lifelong mission to change the game for future generations. Her story reminds every Kingsley student that passion, leadership, and resilience can inspire change on a global scale.

From winning school cups in Bideford to receiving a royal honour for shaping the future of women’s sport, Anita White CBE embodies the Kingsley spirit: “Better Me, Better World.”