More than 250 girls from Manchester United Foundation’s partner-school network descended on Old Trafford recently to gain an insight into opportunities for females in cyber and tech industries.

The mass event welcomed pupils from more than 30 schools on an action-packed day that involved 15 unique workshops. The young people had the opportunity to develop skills in areas including coding, programming and virtual reality, to name just a few.

Facilitated by IN4 Group – the North West Delivery Partner for the National Cyber Security Centre’s CyberFirst Schools and Colleges programme – and their partners, Foundation participants gained insight from a number of industry professionals on a special day at Old Trafford – made all the better for a welcome message from United Women’s Hayley Ladd.

Niccola Massey, the Foundation’s Life Skills Manager, said: “It’s been amazing to see hundreds of girls all in one room being inspired by industry professionals in cyber and tech subjects.

“The young people have had the opportunity to take part in activities they might otherwise have not had the chance to in their traditional school lessons, which will only have opened their minds as to what they are able to achieve in the future.”

Joan, 12, from The East Manchester Academy, said: “It’s really nice because I got to have this feeling of how much Manchester United is doing for Manchester in general.

“I’ve been introduced to better opportunities in computing and technology. At school, we learn some of the basic facts, but here I got to learn things step-by-step, which was really nice.”

Meanwhile, Hajra, 12, from Kingsway Park High School, said: “We’ve been doing many activities around cyber security, and we learned it’s not just about being safe online, but about technology, and what jobs are available in this field.

“Now I feel like there are more opportunities for me; I don’t feel limited. That’s what I really liked about this event.”

Alex, 12, from Waterhead Academy, added: “This was about having fun, teamwork and communication. I’m a Man United fan and it was really cool to come here and see everything for the first time.”