IT SUPPORT and solutions expert Mintivo is boosting an England Ladies hockey team in their bid for World Cup glory as part of a drive to inspire more women to choose a career in technology.
England Hockey’s Over 45s Ladies are heading for Auckland in New Zealand for the tournament next month and Chippenham Hockey Club midfielder Sabina Falcone-Healy, who is a member of the squad, said the Chippenham company’s £1,000 sponsorship is welcome.
“We’ve had to raise all of the money for travel, accommodation and a lot of the kit ourselves so this is a really big help and we are so grateful to Mintivo,” she said. “It will cover some of our costs, including squad shirts to travel and train in.”
Director of People and Culture Mark Adams said the sponsorship is a way of underlining the company’s commitment to changing the perception of the technology sector as a career. “We want to try and promote women in tech wherever we can,” he said. “The sector is perceived as being a male environment and we want to break that mould.
“Exploring other angles like this are a great opportunity to show we are supporting women and also make the women in our workplace aware of what we’re doing.”
He said while the UK’s tech sector is thriving it is still grappling with a disparity between the number of men and women coming into the industry. According to a survey of 700 employers by the Tech Talent Charter this year, just 29 per cent of IT professionals in the UK are women and they can be found in only five per cent of leadership roles.
A key factor is that there are few role models in the sector, and many are often encouraged to pursue traditional gender roles, which may not include STEM fields like technology, he said. This can result in limited exposure to IT subjects and a lack of interest in pursuing careers in the industry. The sector has historically been dominated by men, creating a culture that women can perceive as unwelcoming.
Mintivo Operations Manager Hannah Doggett said the company is making strides on attracting more women into technology. “Being a woman in tech is all about pushing boundaries and showing what’s possible,” she said. “It’s amazing to see more women stepping up, bringing fresh ideas, and proving we belong here. I’m proud to be part of this journey and to work alongside some seriously inspiring women.”
Sabina said the squad have been hard at work raising money for the tournament over the last few months. “A lot of support from companies goes to men’s football and rugby so it is wonderful that Mintivo are doing this,” she said. “It’s great for the squad and great for ladies’ hockey.”
Sabina, 47, is Chippenham’s longest serving player and says the opportunity to represent her country has come late in her career. “I started training with the squad last year,” she said. “I was probably in my prime in my 20s and I was approached to go and play for bigger teams then but I loved playing for Chippenham so I stayed.
“I’m a fitness instructor and that has definitely helped me stay fit and injury free. I guess it is late in life for me to experience this now but it’s a privilege.”
She said despite the age of the players the sport is highly competitive at Masters level. “It’s a completely new level to club hockey, there’s a real professionalism about it,” she said. “You have your giggles and your laughs but you train to the best of your ability at all times and there’s a lot that they expect from you, so it’s been a real eye-opener. Even at my age I’ve learnt an awful lot.”
She said the team is confident about the World Cup, despite having just a few days to adjust to the time difference before their first match against Australia on November 8. “Our coach Kay Hanham says she will accept nothing other than gold, so that’s our expectation,” said Sabina.
“We’ve won our warm-up matches convincingly so we are feeling good. I think the hardest opponent in New Zealand will probably be Argentina but we are going all out for gold 100 per cent.”
Mark added: “We’ll all be rooting for England at Mintivo and it makes it special for us that we’ll have a player from Chippenham representing England and that she and the squad will be wearing shirts with a Chippenham company’s name on.
“It’s this kind of sponsorship activity we hope will trigger conversations about why IT and tech is a fantastic, challenging and fulfilling workplace for women.”
England’s Masters World Cup games will be streamed live on YouTube.
Find out more about Mintivo’s services at Mintivo.co.uk.
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Pictured: England Over 45s Hockey Masters player Sabina Falcone-Healy, centre, showing off a Mintivo-sponsored training top for the World Cup in Auckland next month, with the company’s Account Director Katie Edwards, left, Head of Commercial Amy Lovell, Project Manager Georgia Samrai and Operations Manager Hannah Doggett