Mourant has pledged its support to the Mourant Girls Academy, part of the wider Guernsey Football Association, for a sixth consecutive year.
This partnership focuses on teamwork, development and inclusion, with its funding invested in Guernsey’s young female players – including specialised training facilities at Victoria Park and the chance to compete off-island.
There are currently more than 80 girls in the eight to sixteen age range at the Mourant Girls Academy. Over the years, the academy has nurtured numerous talented football players, from members of the Women’s Senior Muratti team to England and Manchester United star player, Maya Le Tissier.
Alana Gillies Ridout, Partner and Inclusion Leader at Mourant, said: “The increased participation of women in all sports, including football, is incredibly important because it teaches young women skills that they will carry forward into later life, such as teamwork, resilience and handling pressure. Recent studies have shown that there’s a strong correlation between athletic participation and leadership development, with 94 per cent of women in C-suite leadership roles having played sports in their youth. We hope that by supporting programmes like the Mourant Girls Academy we are investing in the development of our current youth – for enjoyment at the age they are now, but also in their futures.”
Joelle Priaulx, Football Operations Manager at the Guernsey Football Association, added: “Receiving continued support from Mourant is invaluable. It provides us with the resources to train at specialised facilities and helps fund trips off-island for the girls to compete in competitive tournaments. Our Girls Academy is a pipeline for the players to feed into adult leagues – it really helps to build their confidence and encourage development of important life skills like responsibility, collaboration and sportsmanship.”
Scarlett Kenneally, Football Development Officer and Girls Academy Manager, reflected on the GFA’s recent Women’s Senior Muratti back-to-back wins, noting: “Without the sponsorship funding from Mourant, the recent women’s team success would not have been possible. Ten of the girls in the team were a part of the Mourant Girls Academy when they were younger and have developed into skilled, talented players, built upon the foundations they learnt at the academy.”