“Dame Allan’s taught me to leave no stone unturned and take every opportunity.”

I have such fond memories of my time at Dame Allan’s, especially of the PE department and Sandra Rickaby - I actually saw Sandra a few weeks before she passed away, which was really special. Mrs Rickaby, Mrs Walton, Mrs Dresser and Mrs Donald were all really passionate about NUFC and football, which I had not experienced at my previous school.

Without their support I would not be where I am now. In fact, all of the teachers were so supportive; Mrs Hill is another person that had a really positive impact on me. 

I joined Dame Allan’s in Year 6. My dad in particular was really passionate about education, he encouraged my work ethic and then Dame Allan’s reinforced this - the school taught me to work hard, but also to be myself too. 

Once I joined, I got really stuck into everything the school had to offer. As well as sports (I played squash for the School and continued this up until university), I got involved in school productions and debate, and I really loved studying English. However, it was sport that was my true passion. When I was at Dame Allan’s, girls didn’t really play too much football, however I am delighted to hear about how much that has changed, with a dedicated girls’ lunchtime football club, football as part of the Y8 PE curriculum, and teams who enter local competitions.

I would say that I definitely got my resilience from Dame Allan’s, helped by my teachers. With sport, if you get knocked down you have to try and try again, if you don’t have that work ethic, you probably won't make it in elite sport. Dame Allan’s also taught me to leave no stone unturned and take every opportunity. That drive and passion is something that I think is the ethos of the school. 

For me, working in elite sport is the next best thing to playing in it, and I am really proud to be a part of the NUFC Women’s Team. When I was at school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I studied sport science at university, and I knew it would be something in sport, but there were not a lot of opportunities for women in elite sport at the time (thankfully, this has changed so much!). I really feel like now I have found my niche. 

When I first started working with NUFC, I was a performance analyst. Now, in my role within operations, I support the team behind-the-scenes. I manage the kit for the team and the academy, things like printing shirts and putting orders in with Adidas, and on match days I support with equipment, nutrition, and kit. It’s a very full-on role with long days, but worth it!

One of my favourite memories is when we had a slip ‘n’ slide in the centre of the changing rooms when we were champions, but I make new favourite memories everytime we play at St James’ Park. The upcoming Derby will be a highlight, especially after our lads won the cup recently! We have already sold more than 24,000 tickets, and are hoping for 30,000. It’s brilliant to see that the city sees NUFC as one club, they want to see all of the football that they can. 

It has been so heartening to see the rise in interest in womens’ sport over the last few years. I think it's really important at NUFC, specifically for the women's team - it's about inspiring the next generation. The Lionesses’ win at the Euros in 2024 was the first time it was seen as England winning, not England women. It’s important to show girls that there is an opportunity to be in an elite sport. Especially for football. 

When I started to work for NUFC Women, the first time I stood in the stands, I thought ‘if I were a young girl watching now, I would be inspired to play’. One of the things that I would love to achieve with the club is that ‘full circle moment’, where girls come to spectate and are encouraged and inspired to play. Womens’ sport is also an opportunity for us to put our stamp on it and do it in our own way because the women’s games are so different to the men’s. The womens’ games often have a really friendly family feel, and sitting in the stands feels very special - it’s absolute girl power.  

If I was speaking to a current Dame Allan’s pupil who may be interested in a career ‘behind-the-scenes’ in sports, or to any budding female athletes, I’d tell them that all you can do is try your absolute best and give your 100%. 

If you are passionate about something, you sometimes need a leap of faith. I definitely took a gamble with this job, first it was only a part-time role but it has worked out and it has grown along with the women’s team’s success. Also ask people in your field and make connections. I have certainly made connections across the city and now have friends in clubs across the city and international clubs too. 

You just need to go for it! 

To get tickets for the NUFC Women vs Sunderland Women match on 23 March 2025, click here