Lewes Ladies FC was established in 2002 as the women's affiliate of Lewes FC, a not-for-profit club helping pioneer 100% fan and community ownership. The team started playing in the South East Counties football league and within a ten-year period climbed through the pyramid, winning promotion to the fourth-tier FA WPL in 2012 following an unbeaten season. In 2017, Lewes became the first professional or semi-professional football club to pay its women's team the same as its men's team as part of their Equality FC initiative.