GOOD news comes in three’s and this week I have identified my top three good news stories surrounding Scottish Women in Sport.
Let’s start with the Scottish FA U19 women’s team who, this week, secured their place at the European Championship in the summer with a win against the Republic of Ireland, Finland and Ukraine. Focus now will be on their preparation and soon they will be packing their bags to travel to Northern Ireland in August. Northern Ireland have been preparing for this tournament for some time now and I have no doubt that it will be a spectacular event, with fun and friendship on offer, if not some sunshine! It’s now a waiting game for the team and the staff, as the draw for the finals won’t be made till June 22 in Belfast. It will be a busy summer and exciting times for football when the U19’s match the achievement of the Scottish FA Women’s National Team as they will both be in action, proudly representing their country against some of Europe’s top teams. I’ve got my tickets for Holland and will now need to look at my diary for August and get over to support the U19s. Also, great excitement for Scotland’s senior women’s hockey team, who after a two-month wait were advised that they have qualified for the World League semi-final for the first time and will travel to Belgium in June where they will meet some of the best hockey nations in the world. This trip will also prepare them for the European Championships in August and the Commonwealth Games in April 2018.
This qualification opens many doors for them as the World League semi-finals are also a step closer to the World Cup which is being held in London in June 2018. A strong performance in the semi-finals would take Scotland back to the World Cup for the first time since 2002. Another exciting bit of news is the continued success of The Sirens netball team who are playing in the Vitality Super League and feature on Sky Sports on a regular basis. There is more to this team than players on the court as they are #changingthegame for young women and girls and working hard to promote netball through a strong and empowering advertising campaign. With a packed programme of school visits, The Sirens take their message out to young girls in the community, encouraging and widening their knowledge of sport and the opportunities that are available for women and girls. I’m surprised that sponsors haven’t flocked to support this campaign. Success, empowerment, healthy lifestyle, equality, TV coverage, there is so much on offer here that could form the basis of a strong partnership. I know that there is always room for one more partner to help offset some of the huge financial costs of this amazing programme and Claire Nelson CEO of Netball Scotland is always happy to speak with potential investors.
Talking about investment, we are nearing D-Day – Sunday, April 30 – when thousands will take to the street and strut their stuff for their chosen charity all under the banner of the Kiltwalk. The Slightly Mad Team who all hail from Stirling University are currently getting into gear for the Glasgow leg of the Kiltwalk and have chosen Scottish Women in Sport (SWiS) as their partner. This year, through the kindness and generosity of The Hunter Foundation, charities not only benefit from receiving all monies raised by the walkers themselves, but that amount will be increased by 10 per cent by the foundation, a big commitment and a lifeline to many charities, who, like SWiS, need to constantly fundraise to enable them to continue with their work. So whilst I’m a little early, I would like to salute all those currently investing their time in training for the Kiltwalk – whether it is for Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee or Edinburgh – and thanks also to The Hunter Foundation for their investment into this event.
So if you would still like to challenge yourself, whilst raising funds for your preferred charity, there is still time to register for any of the four walks across those four cities. Your charity needs you!
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