In the run up to International Women’s Day on Friday March 8th March, local charity Foundation Richmond have selected a number of inspirational women from local communities for an ‘Inspiring Inclusivity’ initiative. Four of the women are alumni of Richmond School and Sixth Form College.

Foundation Richmond is an organisation that works to provide a broad range of support for young people from the local area who are homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless. Jill Lundberg, Team Administrator for Foundation Richmond, has shared profiles of the Richmond School alumni with us so we can raise the profile of Foundation Richmond, International Women’s Day and of course, our amazing alumni!

ELLEN IS AN AMAZING ROLE MODEL FOR GIRLS’ FOOTBALL

Continuing our celebration of inspirational young women in our community, we are delighted to introduce Ellen Atkinson. A goalkeeper since she was four years old, a triple distinction star CTEC Sport student, coupled with bags of experience and devotion to football, Ellen is an amazing role model for girls’ sport.  As the Girls Football Development Coordinator at Richmond School and Sixth Form College, Ellen is highly regarded by colleagues for her dedication to sport and how she encourages and motivates younger students. Her football credentials are impressive. Ellen started playing for her local mixed team in Reeth, before joining girls’ teams and moving to Bedale Bluebirds U13 and U16 squads, Darlington Spraire FC’s U18 team and then becoming the first goalkeeper for Darlington Quakers. 

Ellen said: “My role at school is to encourage and inspire girls to play football and to push them to try something new, allowing them to develop their football skills and their passion to play. As a footballer myself, it helps the girls to see that football is for anyone to play. Within my job, I organise football events and manage two girls’ football teams at school. Fixtures are arranged with other schools, which lets the girls get used to playing as a team and enjoying themselves while getting the benefits of physical exercise.

“It is really rewarding to see more and more girls come to play football, regardless of their skill set or knowledge of the game. Getting girls into football at school age is important, especially when it continues to be a male-dominated sport. It allows them to realise that there are clubs and other teams out there for them to join and it helps them to make new friends and expand their experiences with other people.

“Being a semi-professional footballer, I came across a few barriers to get where I am today. Living in a dales’ location made it difficult for me to find accessible football teams for girls that would support my growing passion for the sport. I had to travel up to 30 miles just to attend a training session for the team that I was playing for, due to the lack of girls’ football teams in the local area. After this year of working for the school, I will have gained lots of life experience and learned new skills that will help me to progress into what I would like to do in the future. In September, I will be taking up my place at Teesside university to study Paramedic Practice. I have always wanted to help people from a young age, and when I was at sixth form college, I did some research on what I could do as a next step and found a course that really interested me. In the paramedic industry there are more males than females, making it a male-dominated sector. As someone who has been in football all my life, this was less of a barrier for me and motivated me even more to apply. It is important as women to always go for what you want whether that sector is male-dominated or not.

“My advice to women of all ages is not to be afraid of stepping outside of your comfort zone and to try something that is not immediately associated with females.  Girls and ladies’ football is not only a fantastic sport but is a fabulous way to develop team-building skills and make new friends that could last a lifetime.  As a career, it is important that male-dominated sectors welcome more women and offer a more diverse workplace.”

Jenna Potter, Headteacher at Richmond School and Sixth Form College, said: “Ellen has committed over 15 years to honing her goalkeeping and teamwork skills. I can’t think of anyone better placed to inspire the next generation of female footballers and to encourage greater inclusion and diversity in this sport. Our students continue to benefit from Ellen’s expertise and enthusiasm, and she has proven to be a valued member of staff who is highly respected by staff and students alike.”