Member Article

Bollington show Manchester school children life behind the scenes at Sale Sharks

Sale Sharks and club sponsor Bollington Insurance joined forces to organise a career day for a group of Year 9 students from St Antony’s College in Urmston, Greater Manchester.

The day involved a trip to the club’s home ground at the AJ Bell Stadium to give students the chance to see an array of jobs linked to the stadium and the club, including catering, operational and logistical roles.

Following the stadium tour, the students had the opportunity to meet England international and Sale Sharks star Chris Ashton, who spent time answering questions and chatting to the youngsters.

Bollington’s HR Director, Penny Wardale, facilitated the tour for the students to allow them to see the scale of matchday preparation. She said: “It was great to see the students get excited and about potential careers of the future after an insightful stadium tour showcasing a variety of roles behind the scenes.

“Sale Sharks is a fantastic club with a loyal fanbase and we’re very proud to be an official club partner. The children were able to see the opportunities available to them to earn a living doing something they really enjoy, with the chance to question a current England international proving a highlight of the day.

“It’s an experience the children loved and it gave them a great insight into all the different things that make the club tick.”

Bollington Insurance, which serves over 140,000 customers, opened a new facility in Sale in November last year which was officially opened by Sale Sharks Commercial Director Mark Cueto.

Bollington Insurance founded the 100 Club initiative alongside Sale Sharks, with the aim to develop future young rugby stars through their local clubs and enter Sharks’ development and academy programmes. The ultimate aim is to produce first-team players and England internationals to follow in the footsteps of Chris Ashton.

“As the only professional rugby union club in the North West, it was fantastic to work with Bollington and show the students what it takes to prepare for live games and the processes that go into making the club the success it is,” said Sale Sharks Commercial Director, Mark Cueto.

“Our players and staff are truly engaged with the local community and we look forward to inviting more students to the AJ Bell stadium to help broaden their career horizons.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emily Craig .