International Women’s Day at Keith Prowse

Here at Keith Prowse, we pride ourselves on not only being a great place for our employees to work, but also on being a diverse and inclusive business for all. In light of International Women’s Day (Friday 8 March 2024), we caught up with a few of our lovely Keith Prowse ladies and asked them a few key questions around women in sport and what it’s like as a women to work for a company like Keith Prowse.

Here's what they had to say…

?

What is so inspiring about women’s sports at the moment?

‘I think it’s great that women are slowly starting to get the recognition they deserve! Women’s football and rugby in particular is growing in interest and presence in the sporting world. It’s so nice to hear more about women’s sport in a general discussion.’

Gemma Scott , Senior Client Services Manager.

‘It’s great that the media have increased coverage of women’s sport in recent years. It’s put the spotlight on female role models for us all to aspire to, given many the motivation to be more active, and is slowly making sports participation more accessible. This is all so important, especially for the younger generations, as sport teaches us valuable skills that benefit us on a personal and professional level.’

Sophie Rouse , Digital and Marketing Team Lead.

?

How do you think women’s sport has progressed over the years?

‘There's been a massive increase in the promotion and awareness of women's sport in the last few years. It's amazing to also see women's matches become a lot more mainstream; the women's Euros, in particular, made huge strides for women's sport -?putting it on the map and making it cool! Seeing statistics for increased crowds at women's sport too (Arsenal women's matches & England v France Women's Six Nations) is such a positive and encouraging change for what's to come.’

Alice Urquhart , Event Manager.

?

Who’s your favourite/most inspiring female sports player/athlete?

‘In an Olympics year, I’m drawn to happy memories of London 2012’s Super Saturday and Jessica Ennis-Hill’s heptathlon gold medal win.? An amazing array of disciplines and performing under pressure – priceless.’

Samantha Coates , Head of Marketing.

‘Serena Williams! I will never forget her 2018 year - she returns to professional tennis after almost dying from childbirth, less than a year prior, and was criticised for wearing a compression catsuit for medical reasons. She had to stand up for herself, despite going through something traumatic. It goes beyond the game – she’s an incredible powerhouse and an amazing role model.’

Gemma Scott , Senior Client Services Manager.

‘Ellie Simmons is a paralympic swimmer and is inspirational to me because she does not allow her disability to define her or limit her and through hard work and dedication, she balanced schoolwork with training and went on to win 3 gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics, proving that anything is possible when you put your mind to it.’

Susie Lawlor , Management Accountant.

‘Jill Scott! Not only is she a great footballer, leading the way in women’s football, a fantastic sporting role model for young girls, she’s built a career and name for herself too. She seems to have struck a fantastic balance between determination and drive, whist holding herself incredibly humble and relatable. An inspiration to all young girls and women.’

Cheska Dann , Trade Account Manager.

?

What do you think Keith Prowse does well, in terms of equality or benefits for Women in our business?

‘During my time at Keith Prowse I’ve had my first child who is now two and a half. I worried about how I was going to juggle work and my new parental responsibilities, as I’ve always wanted to be a very present parent. I needn’t have stressed as following my maternity leave, I shared my concerns with Keith Prowse and I was able to amend my working hours to ensure that I could collect my daughter from childcare each day and spend Friday’s with her. I couldn’t be happier with the support that I’ve received to achieve this balance.’

Lisa Bethell , Senior Account Manager.

‘In my opinion there’s gender equality across the company, with an equal number of women vs men on the leadership team.? We have a transparent, matrix-based structure that empowers employees and fosters collaboration.’

Samantha Coates , Head of Marketing.

?

What does it mean to work at Keith Prowse as a woman?

‘Working at Keith Prowse as a woman it’s encouraging to see clear gender equality by having a mix of both genders spread evenly across all departments, rather than any one department being male dominated. It’s inspiring to see that the heads of both Marketing and Finance are both positions held by women and proves that Keith Prowse is committed to offering equal opportunities. In a world where being a woman can often be seen as a disadvantage compared to men in the workplace due to family or other commitments, I’m pleased to say Keith Prowse breaks the mould and is fully inclusive. It’s an environment where women empower one another and encourage success.’

Susie Lawlor , Management Accountant.

‘We’re working in a space that is stereotypically male, and we have so much drive for success and growth – I love seeing and celebrating the results from the hard work of the women at Keith Prowse.’

Gemma Scott , Senior Client Services Manager.

‘I found this question rather hard to answer, until now I’ve never really thought about the fact that I’m a woman working in a male dominated industry. But I think that speaks volumes for the culture at KP. We are all the same, male, or female, it really doesn’t matter and we all have the same opportunities to grow within the business. Everyone champions one another, it’s a great place to work.’

Cheska Dann , Trade Account Manager.

‘When I first joined Keith Prowse, women were in the minority in the marketing team. Yet, I’ve always felt my ideas and opinions as a woman have been heard here more than any other role before. And the business actively looks at ways to improve that each year. I’m sure it’s this mentality that has attracted more women join Keith Prowse over the last 6 years and bring new skills and a different approach to the business.’

Sophie Rouse , Digital and Marketing Team Lead.

?

Happy International Women’s Day to not only all our lovely women here at Keith Prowse, but everyone in sports industry and around the world.

In the infamous words of this year’s BST Headliner, Shania Twain – ‘Let’s go girls’.