Reds inspire pupils at IWD event

Women's team midfielder Lucy Staniforth and goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley joined the club’s ‘Game Changers’ in welcoming over 100 young girls from 11 Foundation partner schools to Old Trafford, for a special event to celebrate the annual occasion.

The objective of the event was to give the students a chance to speak to some incredible female role models, with representatives from across the club, commercial partners, plus local authorities and businesses kindly giving up their time to help increase awareness of career opportunities for women in football, sport and other industries.

They were joined by United stars Staniforth and Baggaley who were on hand to share their experiences and provide an insight into the women who have inspired and shaped them throughout their careers.

“International Women’s Day is really important and an event like this is such a special experience for the pupils,” Lucy told us. 

“Having the opportunity to see someone and think ‘I want to be like them’ is really powerful, so it’s a pleasure to be able to come down and get involved today.

“Even I have come away from the event feeling inspired,” she added. “There are women here who do all sorts of things, including plumbing and plastering, and it’s great to see a female presence in those positions, especially as someone who also works in a male-dominated industry.” 

Emma Fletcher, the Foundation’s head of girls’ football development who helped to organised the event, spoke about the important role that the club and the Foundation can play in ensuring young women are able to build positive connections in the world of work as they start on their own career path.

“We’ve got an amazing platform here at Manchester United to engage all these amazing young girls,” she said. 

“Having the opportunity to sit down and speak with incredible women with experience in all sorts of areas, from every walk of life, is truly invaluable. 

“There are so many different pathways that are available to the girls and it’s so powerful that we can bring them all together and provide inspiration to the next generation of female footballers, coaches, executives and many other careers too.”

CHANGE THE GAME

The club’s ‘Change the Game’ campaign is now in full swing and the women’s team’s first match at Old Trafford with a watching crowd is also on the horizon as we continue to drive gender diversity at Manchester United. 

You can secure your tickets for the historic fixture on March 27 here.