England women’s football champion, Jill Scott, will be inspiring the next generation of athletes as she signs up to become an official ambassador for Gateshead College.
Jill’s role as ambassador for the college will see her championing sport and encouraging budding athletes through delivering masterclasses and enhancing the student experience at the women’s football academy. She will also help to raise the profile of Gateshead College and its Academy of Sport through being an official spokesperson at key events.
To celebrate her signing as an ambassador today (3 November), Jill hosted a 30-minute masterclass with the Women’s Football Academy followed by a Q&A session.
Speaking about her new role, Jill said: “I’m delighted to sign up as an ambassador for Gateshead College. I gained my sports and exercise diploma here when I left school and I’ve always had an affinity with the staff and students here. It’s such a rewarding opportunity to come back as a mentor. I’m looking forward to working with the next generation of budding athletes and helping to nurture their sporting talents.”
Since completing her studies at Gateshead College, Jill has had an impressive career in women’s football. She won her 100th cap at the England match against Australia last week (27 October 2015) and competed in the 2012 Olympic Games as well as playing for Sunderland Women, Everton Ladies and Manchester City. Jill is one of four former Gateshead College Women’s Football Academy students who now play for England. They are goalkeepers Carly Telford and Rachael Laws and left winger, Demi Stokes.
Judith Doyle, principal at Gateshead College, said: “It’s fantastic to have Jill on board in an ambassadorial role. She is a shining example of the college’s ethos of hard work wins. It will provide a brilliant opportunity for our students to learn from a skilled professional with experience of competing at an international level and I’m confident it will enhance their learning experience and inspire them to also become successful athletes.”
Gateshead College is the leading college for sport in the region and boasts several specialist sports academies which offer state-of-the-art facilities as well as first class training, coaching and advice. The facilities include classrooms equipped with sports science and medicine facilities, a performance lab, aerobics studio, learning resource centre, an 83 metre-long athletics hall, outdoor artificial and grass pitches and a floodlit throwing area.