There’s something about a Tuesday night under the floodlights on a Lanarkshire 3G pitch. The cold, the drizzle, the parents on the sidelines with flasks, and a squad of players who’d rather be nowhere else.
That’s why we’re proud to be the kit sponsor of the Under 14s girls at Blantyre Celtic Community FC. We’ve backed this squad since the team was first formed, and seeing our name on the front of their shirts never gets old.
About Blantyre Celtic Community FC
Blantyre Celtic Community FC was set up in 2016 to give children in Blantyre and the surrounding area a place to play, learn and belong. The name has deep roots in local football: a Blantyre Celtic side first took to the field in 1914. The modern community club is a different kind of organisation, though. It’s run by volunteers and built around participation rather than silverware.
The club has grown quickly. It now runs more than 25 teams, from Fun 4s for the youngest players right through to 11-a-side and a ladies’ team. That includes nine girls’ squads at Under 10, Under 12 and Under 14 level.
The club’s standards are recognised at national level too. It holds the Scottish FA Silver Quality Mark and is affiliated with the Scottish FA, the Scottish Youth Football Association and Scottish Women’s Football. It has won support from the National Lottery’s Football For All programme and the Barclays Community Football Fund, which backs female coaching for girls.
Why we got involved
We’re a Scottish business, and many of the people we work with live, work and raise their families in Lanarkshire. Grassroots clubs like Blantyre Celtic only run because of the volunteers who coach, drive, wash kits and stand in the rain week after week. We wanted to play a small part in that.
Girls’ football in Scotland has had a huge few years. More girls are playing than ever, and the women’s game is on TV and filling stadiums. That growth only lasts if clubs at the grassroots have the coaches, kit and pitch time to welcome every girl who turns up. Sponsorship helps make that happen.
Under 14s head coach and club treasurer Chris Bonnar said:
“We’re really grateful for the continued support of Sales Recruit UK. They’ve stood firmly behind this team since its inception, providing match kit and outerwear through to portable subs benches, to make sure that the girls have the very best available to them for matches in all weathers.”
Chris Bonnar, Under 14s Head Coach and Club Treasurer
That last part is the bit that matters to us. Every girl who turns up, whatever the weather, should feel like she’s part of a proper team.
In good company
We were especially pleased to see who else supports the club. Blantyre Celtic’s sponsors include a strong group of local construction and trades businesses, among them Candid Construction, TRT Construction Services, Essential Scaffolding Lanarkshire and Cadzow Plumbing & Heating.
That says a lot about Lanarkshire. The firms that build our homes, schools and infrastructure are the same firms putting money back into the communities they work in. Those are the businesses we spend our days with, and it’s good company to be in.
Building the workforce of tomorrow
Construction and engineering have been talking for years about the skills gap and about getting more women into the industry. It’s a real challenge: the sector needs more people, and it needs a wider range of people.
Confidence, teamwork, resilience and turning up when it’s cold and dark are learned early. Many of them are learned on a football pitch. The girls in this photo may go on to be site managers, quantity surveyors, electrical engineers, project leads or business owners. Some may go on to be all of them. If we can do a little to help them build those habits now, it’s money well spent.
Thank you
A huge thank you to the coaches, committee and volunteers at Blantyre Celtic Community FC for the welcome, and to the parents and carers who make it all work. Most of all, thank you to the Under 14s. You look brilliant in the kit, and we’ll be cheering you on all season.
Follow the team’s progress on the club’s Facebook and Instagram, or visit blantyreceltic.com.
Sales Recruit UK and Engineering Recruit Scotland help construction, engineering and technical businesses across Scotland and the UK find the people who win the work. If you’re hiring, or you’re a local club or community group looking for support, get in touch.