The Football Association of Wales is excited to announce that Welsh renewable energy developer Bute Energy will become the official sponsor of the FAW Women’s Cup and FAW Girls’ Cup for the next two seasons.
This investment will enhance opportunities for players, elevate the profile of the women’s and girls’ cup competitions, and ensure a sustainable and positive future for women’s football in Wales.
Club houses across Wales will have the opportunity to adopt eco-friendly initiatives, leading to cost savings, and become sustainable leaders within their community.
With a current shortfall of STEM academics in Wales, players will be given opportunities to engage in renewable energy sciences, technology, and sustainable career paths.
The partnership will advance the vision of creating a greener and more inclusive future for football and energise the women’s game while fostering growth within the sport. It represents a shared commitment to empower young women and promote gender equality of community football across
Wales.
Due to the high demand for STEM skills in Wales, we will see the development of bespoke initiatives linking women and girls playing football to STEM subjects, employment opportunities in the clean energy sector, and a co-produced Sustainability Policy that can be tailored and adopted by clubs in the future.
The partnership, which will run until the end of the 2024/25 season, will see the FAW Women’s Cup be renamed the Bute Energy Welsh Cup and the FAW Girls’ Cup become the Bute Energy U16s Cup.
Annaliese Lewis, senior team player and junior team coach at Cascade YFC, said:
“The investment from Bute Energy will not only empower our young players to dream bigger and play better, but it also enables us to work with a renewable company to create a sustainable environment where they can thrive. We’re setting a powerful example of responsibility and care for the environment, ensuring that the future generations of women’s football have a greener and more inclusive home.”
Catryn Newton, Community Benefit Director at Bute Energy, said:
“It’s been great to see the rapid growth of women and girls’ football in the last few years, and we’re proud to be supporting this growth in communities across Wales.
“Sport is a powerful way of improving people’s confidence and enabling them to be part of a community. We’re proud to be a part of that, while also supporting women’s and girls’ development as leaders and helping young people access STEM subjects and employment opportunities.
“At Bute Energy we’re acting now to respond to the Climate Emergency and cost-of-living crisis in new and innovative ways. We’re excited to start working with clubs, in particular those that are located near Bute Energy’s proposed parks, to help them become more sustainable. I’m immensely
proud to be partnering with the FAW team who are just as forward looking and innovative, and excited to be working alongside them over the coming year.”
