Newcastle to Engineer Confidence in Women with ACCIONA Breakfast

• The inaugural ACCIONA ‘Engineering Confidence’ Women’s’ Breakfast will be held at Novotel, Newcastle on the 15th of February following an exciting new partnership between the sustainable infrastructure company and Surfing Australia.

The ACCIONA ‘Feeling Swell’ Program will activate and anchor the partnership with a purpose of creating communities that are physically active, environmentally proactive and inclusive, while aiming to raise awareness of climate change and water pollution, inspire and encourage diversity, and support Surfing Australia to become an emission-free organisation.

ACCIONA Ambassador and 2020 World Surf League Women’s World Tour rookie Isabella Nichols, who is also studying engineering at university said: “Women are strong, powerful and intelligent, yet there is still an imbalance favouring men in both the field of engineering and out in the ocean. I love this partnership between ACCIONA and Surfing Australia. How it aims to encourage females to pursue their passion, to change the way we look at gender-based roles and to encourage women of all ages to believe in themselves in whatever they chose to do.”

Bede Noonan, ACCIONA Managing Director of the Construction business said: “he hopes the event will help inspire future leaders that are connected, informed and inclusive.”

The sponsored breakfast is a curtain raiser event ahead of the National Final of the Australian Boardriders Battle in Newcastle on February 15-16, 2020. In addition to the breakfast, ACCIONA will also launch their Recycle Stations powered by Envirobank, with funds raised from the station to go towards Surfing Australia’s Community Relief Fund.

Hosted by Surfing Australia TV host, Sam Squires, the breakfast will see the alignment of ACCIONA’s women in construction initiatives (to increase the number of female workers in the industry) with Surfing Australia’s goal to promote the engagement of women of all ages in surfing, and encourage and inspire their growth and development through surfing leadership.

Seven-time World Champion and Surfing Australia Chair Layne Beachley said: “Surfing fills me with energy and confidence, and I aim to share that stoke with everyone in and out of the water. Events and programs focussed on educating, nurturing and developing skills, such as this Engineering Confidence breakfast, and our women in waves program “Shore Thing”, fuel our purpose as an organisation, creating a healthier and happier Australia through surfing.”

Running from 8 am–10 am the breakfast will feature a panel of inspiring woman making this initiative happen; Layne Beachley, Sport Consultant Amber Hassall, WSL tour rookie and ACCIONA Ambassador Isabella Nicholls, Surfing Australia National High Performance Director Kim Crane, and ACCIONA Senior Managers Rebecca Dickson and Ninna West.

Photo credit: Blainey Woodham / Surfing Australia  

This content was written by: Surfing Australia.