BiKBBI announces partnership with Charlton Athletic Women's F.C.

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BiKBBI confirm partnership with Charlton Athletic Women’s Football Club

Supporting the next generation and providing equal opportunities is the credo behind the BiKBBI’s agreement to become principle partners of Charlton Athletic Women’s FC for three years, until 2021.

The partnership is just the beginning of a concerted drive by the institute to introduce young women to its industry, and particularly, for a vocational career within KBB installation. The announcement perfectly coincides with the excitement currently around the opening of the BiKBBI’s Approved Training Facility and the Apprenticeship launch at PROCAT back in September.

The BiKBBI has identified the partnership with Charlton Athletic Women’s FC due to the synergy between the two organisations and women’s football in general. BiKBBI CEO, Damian Walters explains, “There has been a seismic shift in the last few years of the general acceptance of women in trades that have traditionally been the domain of blokes, like general building and plumbing for example. This change of attitude has been most identifiable in sport, with a much ‘levelling of the playing field.” For example, the FA (Football 

Photography by Keith Gillard

Association) has made huge strides in creating opportunities for women and girls to play our national sport; so much so, that football is now officially the biggest female team sport in England with almost 150,000 players competing in affiliated league and cup competitions. This represents a percentage increase of a whopping 1,425% in the last 15 years (there were just 10,400 participants in 1993 when records began).”

Founded in 1905. Charlton Athletic is an English football institution and has had many glorious moments in its history, none more so than winning the FA cup. Its Women's team forms an integral part of the club’s community strategy and was founded in 1991.

CAWFC is an FA Charter Standard Club and an FA Girls Regional Talent Club. The club comprises two Women's Teams (First and Development) and four junior teams (Under 10/12/14/16) involving literally hundreds of girls and young women throughout the London and surrounding areas, especially South East London where the club is based. The First team play in the FA Women's Championship, the 2nd highest league in women’s football. They also compete in the FA Cup and the FA Continental (League) Cup.

Damian added, “This is no ordinary partnership. Our industry needs to attract the next generation of installers and this should be inclusive with a fair representation from women. The BiKBBI has welcomed its first female members in the last few years but in all honesty, we are only scratching the surface so far, because the growth potential is vast as women can massively help narrow the current skills shortage. Hence the partnership with Charlton Athletic Women’s Football Club, which is a strategic decision to run concurrently with our drive to attract female apprentices to the recently launched BiKBBI devised and approved apprenticeship initiative.”

To underline the massive growth potential of women’s football and therefore the extended reach of the BiKBBI to potential female apprentices/members, it is estimated that over 1.1 million women play kick-about football and the sport, just like the BiKBBI, is determined to break down barriers. For example, women and girls from some ethnic 

“This is no ordinary partnership. Our industry needs to attract the next generation of installers and this should be inclusive with a fair representation from women."

communities remain unaware of the opportunities which exist, and there are cultural, religious and social norms to overcome. The same applies to disabled women and girls. Organised sport, especially football, is possibly the quickest and easiest way to create awareness of these opportunities through its ‘togetherness.’

The FA states that involvement of females in football also extends beyond playing as it wants to increase the number of female coaches, referees and

administrators as it underpins its work, especially as there are other key messages, stating, “Football is fun, it improves self-esteem, creates new friendships, and like all sport, it plays a key role in combating obesity, particularly in teenagers.” Perhaps, more importantly, as far as the BiKBBI is concerned, women’s football and sport in general provides an opportunity to close the skills gap by expanding the career possibilities to potential future generations of KBB installers.

Photography by Keith Gillard

"The BiKBBI has welcomed its first female members in the last few years but in all honesty, we are only scratching the surface so far, because the growth potential is vast as women can massively help narrow the current skills shortage."

Photography by Keith Gillard

FROM THE TOP ...

We asked Steve Adamson, CAWFC’s General Manager a few questions about his thoughts on the sponsorship (there will be more from Steve in the next issue of The Installer Magazine):

Why do you think the BiKBBI is a good fit for CAWFC?

“We are all about promoting equality and pushing women forward. The BiKBBI brand follows similar ideas to us as they want to promote women in what previously would be maledominated workspaces. The institute wants to, and does lead the way in its market which is exactly what we want to do here.”

Photography by Keith Gillard

What do you hope to achieve both short and long term?

“This is a partnership which is mutually beneficial to both parties which is why it's so fantastic to have the BiKBBI on board. There is no hiding from us, running a women's football club costs a lot of money which is why we need to bring more sponsors on board to help raise the income that will keep the club a float. The BiKBBI on the other hand has a clear gap in employment which needs to be filled by both women and men for their next generation of fitters and installers. By using our platform, the aim is to help recruit more students to choose apprenticeships which the BiKBBI will be offering. This is a longterm project and investment from the institute but will make sure that long term their business has the next set of recruits coming through.”

The Installer Magazine will be following the fortunes of CAWFC in every issue and will also report regularly on how the sponsorship is working for both parties. Look out for our next issue (winter) where we speak with Steve Adamson in a little more depth about the hopes and aspirations of the relationship. What are the clubs ambitions with regards to football?

“Charlton Athletic Women has two sets of ambitions. The first is to have the first team compete at the highest level which the club can. We have gained promotion to the second highest division in women's football, but we are not there just to make up the numbers; we are there to challenge every single opponent we play and provide fans with entertaining football.

We also have an ambition to bring great players through our academy and into our first team. We have a great history and success of bringing top players into our side and in the past creating England international players so there is no reason why we can't do this again.”