Bournemouth University (BU) is working with the AFC Bournemouth Community Sports Trust and other local employers to deliver a programme designed to inspire girls from disadvantaged backgrounds to thrive in the business world and develop an entrepreneurial mindset.
The HIVE Programme is a BU pilot programme with a collection of interactive sessions delivered by local businesses and entrepreneurs, each bringing their expertise and insight to deliver on key learning objectives such as leadership, project management and problem solving. The lack of representation and funding opportunities that women receive in the business world is well documented, with a reported 2.3% of venture capital going to female entrepreneurs.
The AFC Bournemouth Community Sports Trust partnered with BU to address this imbalance, running a session centred around ‘money management’, which saw 30 girls from selected local schools invited to the Vitality Stadium. The experience included a stadium tour and a meet and greet with one of the club’s female footballers.
Gareth Williams, the Trust’s Project Lead for ‘Premier League Inspires’ said, “We are delighted to partner and host a workshop for the HIVE Programme at the Vitality Stadium. This day engaged female participants and enabled them to gain confidence and employability skills within an elite sporting environment and hopefully encouraged some to seek future employment within the game of football."
Beth Matthews, Schools Liaison Manager said, “We intend to roll out this programme with the view to growing it regionally and ultimately inspiring a generation of students to build their business leadership skills into their future careers. We are delighted to be working alongside AFC Bournemouth as one of our partners for this pilot.”
Bournemouth University is the official higher education partner of AFC Bournemouth. The partnership is now in its tenth year and works for the benefit of staff, students, supporters and the local community. For more information about BU's partnership with AFC Bournemouth, visit: https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/collaborate/afc-bournemouth
