Member Article

Global engineering firm backs Sunderland girls football team

Assystem, the world’s third largest nuclear engineering firm, is proud this season to sponsor Farringdon Detached FC. The girls’ under 12 football team draws its squad from primary schools local to Assystem’s Sunderland site at Quay West Riverside Business Village.

Assystem will be sponsoring the girls’ blue away strip for the season ahead. Playing in the Russell Foster Youth League, the girls train at Silksworth Junior School. Their seasons’ inaugural match took place at home on 21 September.

“I’m really grateful for the support that Assystem has shown my daughter’s team, and I am proud of the way it positively promotes girls’ youth football,” said David Hunt, father of one of the team’s many star players and Stress Engineer at Assystem.

“Assystem’s support for Farringdon Detached FC really shows that they are committed to the local community, while also positively reinforcing the company’s gender diversity philosophy and the #IncredibleWomen programme. It sends a positive message to all these girls that the world is their oyster.”

Diversity in the engineering industry is an important cause championed by Assystem. With its #IncredibleWomen initiative, Assystem aims to promote the recruitment of women and help them develop their careers in what is still a male dominated industry.

“Key to this mission of improving diversity in the engineering industry is to engage girls early on to promote STEM and engineering subjects,” said Jill Partington of Assystem. “As well as our sponsorship of the girls’ U-12 team, we will host the team at our offices for a day that we hope we will inspire the girls and pique some curiosity in engineering.”

The Russell Foster Youth League was formed in 1975 to provide football facilities for young people in local communities in Tyne and Wear. The initial season saw eight teams compete in one under 13 Division. This year, there are over 434 teams competing in 37 divisions in age groups ranging from under 9s to under 18s.

Farringdon Detached FC will play on Saturdays against teams in Sunderland and the surrounding region through to the end of January. The winning team will take home the tournament trophy.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Assystem .