Women in business event at Huddersfield Giants to highlight coaching opportunities

Women from across Huddersfield and West Yorkshire are invited to learn more about a new mentoring programme thanks to Huddersfield Giants.

The Rugby League club has teamed up with NatWest and the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for the Inspiring Women event which is taking place on Tuesday 8 December. The bank and LEP are currently rolling out a free mentoring programme across the region to support women in business as part of the Government-backed Be the Business programme.

Last year, Huddersfield Giants launched their Women in Business network after recognising that over a third of the club’s fanbase was female. The network hosts a range of events and activities all aimed at inspiring women in their entrepreneurial purists.

Earlier this autumn, NatWest and Be the Business announced the launch of a free mentoring programme for female entrepreneurs to provide greater access to sponsors and mentors, in response to findings that show female business owners are at a disadvantage due to a lack of relatable role models and mentors. This pilot programme seeks to address this challenge and help female business owners access high quality mentoring to help build their businesses. This follows the Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship which also identified the need for relatable mentors for aspiring female entrepreneurs.

Heather Waters, Enterprise Manager at NatWest, said: “It’s great to be working alongside Huddersfield Giants on this event which is aimed at inspiring and empowering female business leaders across West Yorkshire. It’s fantastic that the club recognises the significant contributions made my women in business and has committed to supporting them. The mentoring programme provides access to mentees to get the support they need to help their business thrive and for mentors to share their expertise with aspiring future business leaders.”

LEP Board member, Mandy Ridyard, Financial Director of Produmax said: “Leeds City Region is an exciting place for entrepreneurs to start and scale their business. If women start and scale businesses at the same rate as men, it would add £250bn to the UK economy. This is a fantastic opportunity for female business owners in our region to gain access to free, hands-on support to help grow their businesses, grow a future-ready team and in turn contribute to an inclusive economic recovery.”

For more about the event, visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inspiring-women-tickets-129990500085