Minchinhampton Rangers Youth FC has launched a new girls’ dedicated pathway, marking a significant step forward in the club’s commitment in the women’s and girls’ game.
As one of the largest clubs in the Gloucestershire area, the pathway will lead the way in taking young female players from grassroots through to youth level and beyond.
The girls setup will kick off in September, tied to the start of the new season, and has already seen more than 60 budding footballers sign up to the club, as it runs a number of taster sessions during the summer. In getting things off the ground Minchinhampton Rangers Youth FC has had the support of gas emergency and pipeline service, Wales & West Utilities.
Minchinhampton Rangers Youth FC lead coach Tim Dowdes explains:
“We have wanted to launch a girls pathway for some time now, and thanks to commitment and support from volunteer coaches and businesses like Wales & West Utilities, we have been able to get this off the ground in time for the new season.
“We have been overwhelmed by the interest and are now looking forward to developing and seeing the girls progress through the age groups, as their participation in the sport grows.”
Wales & West Utilities has provided support to the club which has secured training facilities each week, for six months, so that training is uninterrupted during the winter. The funding comes as the gas emergency and pipeline service works to upgrade over 1,700 metres of gas pipes in Minchinhampton.
Tim continued:
“We are hugely excited to see this pathway grow and we’d urge anyone interested in playing to register to come along to our training sessions.
“On behalf of everyone at the club, I'd like to thank Wales & West Utilities for its generous support in helping us develop grassroots football opportunities for young girls. Without this support, we would sadly face the difficult decision of passing these costs on to our families, and we don’t believe finance should ever be a barrier to young people enjoying sport.
“We are really looking forward to kicking off the new season and helping these young girls develop both on and off the field.”
The work in Minchinhampton is part of the Wales & West Utilities ongoing programme of essential work to ensure gas continues to flow safely and reliably to homes and businesses across the area - helping to keep people warm for decades to come.
Wales & West Utilities' Ryan Barkway is managing the gas pipe upgrade project and said:
“We are always looking to support the communities in which we work and are proud that this funding will go to help a large number of young footballers, and their families.
“Grassroots sport is so pivotal, and with teams like this benefitting so many youngsters we are delighted to lend a helping hand to get the girls pathway at Minchinhampton Rangers Youth FC off the ground. We wish everyone a great season ahead.”
Young players aged 5-11 are encouraged to register here: Minchinhampton Rangers | Youth Football Club | Stroud
Wales & West Utilities is the gas emergency and pipeline service, delivering energy to over 7.5 million people across Wales and the south west of England. We don’t sell gas; we transport it through an extensive underground network of more than 35,000 kilometres of pipes.