FAW celebrates the success of year two BE. Football mentees

The BE. Football Mentoring Programme supports women aged 18+ to progress their careers in football through one-to-one mentoring and a variety of workshops and work experience opportunities.

This year 15 mentees participated in the programme which aims to build the confidence of participants and aid their progression in football while developing the skills required to achieve their full potential in their desired role within the game. Mentees can include those who are interested in starting their first job in football or those looking to progress to a more senior role on or off the pitch.

Lowri Roberts, FAW Head of Women’s & Girls’ Football kick-started the day re-capping on an incredible nine months for all our mentees. She handed over to Jess Magness, Head of campaigns at Orchard Media who guided the mentees through a workshop on public speaking and presentation skills.

“Nothing changes when nothing changes,” said Jess Magness who empowered the mentees to step out of their comfort zones and shared her own experiences of working in sport and developing her confidence to be the professional she is today.  

Performance Lifestyle Coach Claire Ewing took the mentors through a self-reflection workshop to help them reflect on their own personal journeys and growth from the programme.

At the programme launch day in March, the mentees were set with the task of conquering their fears of networking by going out and meeting with three professionals in the industry with the chance to win a signed Women’s National Team shirt!

Winner, Mentee Nicole Samson, Airbus apprentice and The New Saints player wowed the room with her networking skills as she shared her conversations with the CEO of Moneypenny Joanna Swash and Vikrant Batra, Global Chief Marketing Officer at HP. In addition she met Bryan Swarberg TV Co-Producer whose work includes “Welcome to Wrexham” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” to gain advice on how to excel in her own career.

After a working lunch filled with great food, polaroid pictures and preparation, guests – which included staff from the key stakeholders – were eager to hear all about the endeavours the mentees had been on.

From the highs to the lows, each mentee shared their journey coming from a range of industry areas including coaches, players, media and more. The authenticity of their stories and confidence in their developed presentation skills captivated the audience.

The group were lucky enough to have UEFA Vice President, Laura McAllister to close the day as she reflected on her own experiences and gave words of wisdom looking ahead to a bright future for all involved.

Lowri Roberts, Head of Women’s and Girls’ Football, said: “Over the last nine months we’ve seen our Year 2 cohort grow in confidence so much, and that was evident today when every one of them delivered so brilliantly their ‘My Mentoring Journey’ presentation in front of a room full of their peers, mentors, FAW staff and some of our key stakeholders.”

Roberts Added: “One of the most powerful outcomes of this programme is the support network it provides our mentees. That network will be there to lean on, to uplift them and to positively challenge them as they progress through their career in football.”

Bethan Bushen, BE. Football Mentoring Programme Mentee, said: “The FAW’s BE. Football mentoring programme is one of the best opportunities I have experienced this year.

“The closing day was great to see how far each mentee had come and witness how much they’ve developed as strong women, both in and outside of the game. Cymru’s Future for Her has never been more exciting.”

Applications for year three of the programme will open on the 1st of January with more information to follow.