Gas emergency and pipeline service, Wales & West Utilities has thrown its support behind Bristol’s largest dedicated girls football club, Downend Flyers, as they start this season.

The club has received a £300 donation which has allowed them to purchase training equipment and new kit. The donation comes after Wales & West Utilities colleague and under 11 coach at Downend Flyers, Matthew Fowler, put in a request for support from his employer.

Matthew, who has worked for Wales & West Utilities as a Network Technician for over 11 years, said:

We are seeing increased numbers of girls coming forward wanting to play football, but the pandemic has sadly had an impact on sponsorship support, which means that our money is being stretched a lot further.

It’s great that Wales & West Utilities has been able to get behind the club and the sponsorship will make a huge difference to our girls. We are really looking forward to this season – we hope to do Wales & West Utilities proud!

The gas emergency and pipeline service for Wales and the south west of England provided the funding as part of its commitment to support the communities it serves.

Sarah Hopkins, Wales & West Utilities People & Engagement Director, said:

Volunteer coaches like Matthew give up so much of their time to support the development of others, so when he came to us for support we gladly agreed.

We are happy to support the growth of Downend Flyers and are pleased this money will go towards helping all age groups play the game they enjoy.

Our colleagues go the extra mile to volunteer their time to help clubs and organisations in their local communities and we are delighted to support their efforts. We’re looking forward to following the club this season.

Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service, brings energy to 7.5m people across the south west of England and Wales. If you smell gas, or suspect the presence of carbon monoxide, call us on 0800 111 999 straight away, and our engineers will be there to help any time of day or night. Before visiting, we'll ask you to let us know if you or anyone in your household, is experiencing Coronavirus symptoms or self-isolating. We'll still come and help you: but our teams will take some additional precautions to keep us all safe.