Dare To Be Different teamed up with Porsche GB to host 100 girls aged between 11 and 14 years at the Reading headquarters, giving them an insight into future career options in motorsport and the automotive sector.
The day started with a Pirelli Pit-Stop challenge that saw the students working together in teams to change a wheel against the clock.
D2BD’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Clare Morden was then on hand to give lessons in life-saving resuscitation, including how to use a defibrillator.
Following the hands-on training, the girls were then given a full tour of the Porsche workshops and given an insight into the German manufacturers’ electrification programme.
The final part of the day saw W Series and 2019 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Pro-Am championship runner-up Esmee Hawkey speak with the girls, talking about her career and pose for photos in her Carrera Cup racecar. Two of Porsche’s female personnel, Technician Charlotte Hargreaves and After Sales Manager, Louise Jenkins-Smith also shared their career advice.
“We were delighted to host Dare To Be Different at Porsche Headquarters and our Centre in Reading yesterday,” said Alasdair Jakes of the Porsche Retail Group.
“The girls were highly engaged in all of the activities and it was great to observe a real sense of excitement as well as a growth in confidence in all of them throughout the day.
“Events like this are an absolute necessity if we are to encourage more females into automotive and I really hope that we have inspired and maybe even helped shape the future for one, two (or even more!) of the girls that were here.”
Susie Wolff, Dare To Be Different founder added, “First of all a huge thanks to Porsche for hosting our event at their superb HQ. It was wonderful for the girls to be able to get up close and personal with the road and race cars and have insight into the day-to-day workings of a manufacturer like Porsche.
“We are working hard to improve the numbers but there is still a considerable shortage of women across many disciplines in automotive and motorsport. It’s up to us to show them at a young age what potential career opportunities exist, especially when they are making important life choices.
“My hope is that one day one of these girls will say, “I remember that day – it’s what made me want to be a mechanic/designer/sales manager or whatever it is she chooses for her future.”