Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club celebrate remarkable women making the club strong
UK football club Wolverhampton Wanderers, commonly known as Wolves, celebrated International Women’s Day (IWD) with an exciting social media campaign highlighting the remarkable women who make the club so strong.
“International Women's Day has been around for more than 100 years, and since 1911 has belonged to all those who care about gender equality, and do so by celebrating women's achievement, raising awareness about discrimination and taking action to forge gender parity,” said Wolves.
“This year’s campaign of Give To Gain encourages a mindset of generosity and collaboration, which emphasises the power of reciprocity and support. When people, organisations and communities give generously, opportunities and support for women increase. Giving is not a subtraction, it's intentional multiplication. When women thrive, we all rise,” added Wolves.
Giving to fellow women in the club
"This International, we’re celebrating all the remarkable women who make our club stronger. As part of this year’s Give To Gain campaign, we asked colleagues what they give to other women across the club to help them grow and succeed," said Wolves.
From across the club, 13 women, including from marketing and events departments at Molineux, and the first-team and academy at Compton Park, went front of the camera to openly share their thoughts.
“Throughout my career, I’ve had lots of flexibility from my leadership and it’s something that I now bring to Wolves as well. I think it’s really important to be flexible around everyone’s lifestyle. I’ve always been encouraged to be my authentic self, and that’s something I bring here to Wolves,” said Wolves & Wolves Foundation Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Lead, Samantha Lee.
Natalie, Head of Education for Wolves Academy, added: “I’m quite lucky that when I started my career, especially within Wolves, I was given a lot of empowerment to try things, to have new ideas, give them a go, fail, and try and grow in a particular way. That’s what I try to give women within Wolves as well - giving them space to be who they are, to have their own ideas, manage their time, manage their projects, and give them support. It’s really important that when you come into a male-dominated industry that you have the support of other women to give you confidence and try new things, and have that knowledge that you can fail and that it’s not going to be the end of the world for anyone."
Meanwhile, Marketing Manager Amy reminds about the importance of a safe space to feel valued and seen, such as backing people in their ideas or projects. “Especially in football, big gestures aren’t always necessary. It’s about creating that space where people feel supported and valued," explained Amy.
Events Executive Poppy encourages other women to be brave and bold and take up place in a space that’s not traditionally theirs. “Day-to-day I do that by actively encouraging opinions from them and elevating their input where I can," said Poppy.
Wolves Foundation Business Development Manager Laura brings empowerment to the club. “I like to be a cheerleader for other women and help them realise the opportunities that are available, especially within this industry," commented Laura.
“I like to make sure that women feel safe in the work environment, but also they feel really represented. I want someone to come and interview here or see us at an event, and they can see themselves in someone that works with us here,” said Wolves Foundation Head of HR & Governance Lara.
“Through my career, I have had many women uplift me and help me get to where I am today. I like to do that for up and coming women,” said Wolves Foundation Community Sport Manager Hope.
Football Secretary Rebecca is passionate about empowering and supporting other women at the club to feel seen, valued, and confident in their own potential. "As the first woman to have held this role at Wolves, I feel a sense of both responsibility and privilege to use my platform to inspire other women to pursue opportunities that they might otherwise have thought were not available to them," continued Rebecca.
Wolves Partnership Activation Executive Poppy understands the importance of visibility. “What I like to think I bring to other women in representation. Just seeing so many women in various parts of the club. I love the idea that the female voice is being heard in commercial conversations, and I’m incredibly proud that other women can see me at the centre of that," said Poppy.
Lisa, Head of Player Care added: “Supporting the women I work with is something I approach with genuine care and empathy. Understanding the experiences, listening, and creating space with women, helping them to feel safe, valued, and heard, is essential to building an inclusive environment. Empathy allows me to recognise the unique pressures that women can face, and respond in a way that encourages supports and strengthens both women and our entire culture here at Wolves.”
“I get a huge amount of satisfaction working with young professionals, seeing them grow in confidence, stretching themselves, and stepping into bigger roles. I hope I’ve played a small part in that journey. I also hope that I’m a safe pair of hands, and that friends and colleagues know that they’re very welcome to come to this safe haven,” said Head of Events Delivery, Kerri.
Norma is a Canteen Assistant at Wolves, who strives to make people happy every day. For Norma, working at Wolves is a great opportunity to meet lovely people. “I’ve learned who everyone is, so I know when someone is feeling down or have problems. It’s so nice that I get to give them a welcome with my smile. I say “Hello! How are you?” or give them a hug or anything that can make it better. That’s my priority here,” explained Norma. “I want to make everyone’s day a bit better. I am so happy when a person is having their meal and when they leave they’re more comfortable to start work again. Every single person here is very important to me. Wolves is part of my family now, so that’s why I try every day to put a little heart and love into everything I do in this place.”
Celebrating inspiring women
Members of Dan McNamara’s squad, including Beth Merrick, Louanne Worsey and Abi Loydon, described the women who’ve inspired them on their footballing journeys so far.
“The inspirational woman in my life was my first female teacher in secondary school. She allowed me to grow without any boundaries and set the standard for me to be who I am today, and that’s the impact she’s had in my football career,” said Beth Merrick.
“My inspirational women are my teammates. They provide me with belief and encouragement, day in, day out. This supports my career as it makes me believe in myself for a period of injury and makes me keep going,” explained Lily Simkin.
“The inspirational women in my life are my mum and my nan. They give me confidence and self-belief, and this benefits my career because they allowed me to play with freedom and a smile on my face,” added Louanne Worsey.
AJ’s family also inspire her, specifically her mum and her sister. “They give me courage, support, and love no matter what, and always remind me to never give up.”
Similar to AJ, the woman who inspires Abi Loydon the most in her sister. “She always gives me belief and confidence when things may have not gone the way that I thought they were going to go, and always supports me no matter what.”
The woman that inspired and helped Sareet Binning in her journey so far has been her grandmother. “The love she has shown, despite facing many hardships, and the courage that she has shown to keep going, has definitely helped me,” said Sareet.
One of Merrick Will’s former female coaches, who was previously a fellow football player, is a source of inspiration. “She gained loads of caps for England and then went on to become a coach, and that was really important to me for visibility and being a player, and coaching myself,” explained Merrick.
“The woman that inspires me is my mum because she’s given me motivation and determination to succeed,” added Chloe Williams.
Securing a winning match
Wolves Women celebrated IWD 2026 with a convincing 6-0 victory over Derby County at the SEAH Stadium, setting them up nicely for the following weekend’s big clash with Burnley.
Platforming IWD on a podcast
International Women’s Day was also the theme of a Wolves Express podcast episode.
The episode featured from staff at both Molineux and Compton Park, as well as the Wolves Women first-team players.
Follow the Wolves to hear more about their tenacious focus on helping forge gender equality in sport.