The ‘BE. Football: Mentoring Programme’ encourages women, aged 18+, who are actively working or volunteering in football and are wanting to progress their careers to apply to be a mentee of the programme.

The programme aims to build the confidence of participants, to aid their progression in football, whilst developing the skills required to achieve their full potential in their desired role within the game. Mentees can include those who are interested in starting their first job in football or those looking to progress to a more senior role on or off the pitch.

The ‘BE. Football: Mentoring Programme’ saw great success in recent years with over 60% of all those mentees who have come through the programme now working in roles throughout the game in Wales. Since the start of the programme the FAW has also seen an increase in the amount of Women not only applying for roles with the organisation but obtaining the roles also, with 35% of all applicants gaining roles with the FAW in recent years being Women.

The BE. Football: Mentoring Programme entered it’s 4th year in 2025 with 19 mentees from across the Welsh football family and 19 mentors from across the FAW and the association’s trusted partners taking part.

All mentees were partnered with mentors best suited to their aspirations and field of work. The programme encouraged mentees to have an open line of communication with their mentor. This enabled knowledge sharing of best practice in addition to valuable in-person shadowing and networking opportunities. 

Mentees were also given the opportunity to hold discussions with legends of the game such as Rhian Wilkinson current Women’s National Team Head Coach, Alys Carlton current FAW Independent Chair or the Board of Directors, Helen Ward former Cymru International, Laura McAllister current UEFA Vice President and Executive Committee member, in addition to meeting leading women from across the industry. The mentees were also given a Media Training Day at the BBC Wales studios where they had the chance to advance their media skills and try their hand at radio bulletins!

Mentee Angharad Evans said: “The experiences and memories I’ve gained through the programme are truly unforgettable, and I’m beyond grateful for every opportunity I’ve had during this time. 

“Six months ago, I never would have stood confidently presenting in front of a crowd, I wouldn’t have comfortably networked, and I definitely wouldn’t have dreamed of hosting a panel discussion. Yet these were some of the things I enjoyed the most, proving there is real value in pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and trying something new.”.

The 2025 programme concluded at Dragon Park on the 17th of December with mentees, mentors, FAW staff members and partners of the FAW joining to celebrate their journeys and hear more about the confidence, support systems and opportunities they have built over the past 7 months.

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The application window is now closed. Carys Ingram, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Sustainability Executive at the FAW, said: “Following four successful years of the BE. Football Mentoring Programme, we will use 2026 as a time to pause, reflect and rebuild the programme. This period of reflection will help us learn from participants’ experiences and evolve the programme with intention, strengthening its foundations and preparing it for an exciting and impactful future.”

If you have any questions about the ‘BE. Football: Mentoring Programme’ please get in touch.