In celebration of International Women’s Day, Motorsport UK’s Race for Diversity programme is proud to launch Level Up: Women in Sports.
This ground-breaking collaboration with sporting icons Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and Crystal Palace Football Club will support 30 young women aged 16-24 from underrepresented backgrounds, offering insight into careers across sport. Level Up will provide inspiration and guidance on how to succeed in sporting careers through unique behind-the-scenes access, inspiring workshops and the chance to hear first-hand from industry professionals, helping to remove barriers to opportunity.
The inaugural intake was selected from over 220 applications, 39% of which were from women of colour – far beyond sport industry standards. The launch event at Selhurst Park, the home of Crystal Palace FC, represented the opportunity to recognise not just female representation but importantly ensuring that women from all backgrounds can succeed in all aspects of the sports industry.
The cohort will experience the many career pathways open to them in motorsport, cricket and football with the three founding organisations over the next three months. Each sport will host a session with high-profile events taking place at iconic venues Brands Hatch and Selhurst Park, concluding with an unforgettable experience in July at the inaugural women’s test match between England and India at Lord’s cricket ground, the home of the MCC.
The launch evening provided a taster for the new initiative, with representatives from across the sporting industries opening up invaluable networking opportunities. Further opportunities were presented by the many organisations in attendance including the Premier League Foundation, Association of Black and Ethnic Engineers, Jabari, Motorsport UK Inclusion Hub and Futures in Sport.
The inaugural cohort was further encouraged by introductory speeches from representatives of the three sports: John Donegan of the MCC, Dana Tohme from Crystal Palace FC and Evelkah Powell from Motorsport UK Race for Diversity.
The evening continued with an inspirational panel conversation moderated by Susan Patterson Smith, Head of Pathways and Learning at Palace for Life and paneled by Kassandra Farzavandi, Programme Planner at Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team; Gemma Staple, Female Engagement Officer at Palace for Life; Charlotte Carter, General Manager – Women’s First Team at Crystal Palace FC; and Charlotte Marshall, London Spirit Marketing Manager at MCC.
Opening and closing speeches were given by Crystal Palace FC CEO, Sharon Lacey and Motorsport UK’s Director of Marketing and Communications, Polly Dedman, opening up about their personal journeys into working in sport with tips and insights gathered from their own experiences.
In helping to open doors to successful careers in sport for promising young women from underrepresented backgrounds, Level Up: Women in Sports is an integral part of Motorsport UK’s Race for Diversity initiative powering the future of motorsport.
Click here to join the Race for Diversity Discord to hear about future opportunities including Level Up: Women in Sports, here for more details on Race for Diversity and here for details of Motorsport UK’s inclusion programmes.