All-female led safety team

A leading Midlands stadium has delivered a major sport event with an all-female led safety team for the first time.

More than 20,400 fans visited Coventry Building Society Arena to see England’s Lionesses face South Africa.

It was a major night of international sport at the venue and also marked a significant milestone for the stadium, with four women leading the safety team.

Claire Harkness, Operations Director at the Arena, was Safety Officer for the evening and was supported by Katie Greenfield, Chief Steward, Emily Kelly, Deputy Chief Steward and Elaine Wood, External Safety Manager.

It is the first time the Coventry stadium has ran a major event with an all-female led safety team – with the multi-purpose venue for sport, business and entertainment set to celebrate its 20th birthday next year.

They led a team of 345 stewards that were operating around the stadium on matchday.

Katie Greenfield and Emily Kelly have both risen through the ranks at Coventry Building Society Arena, starting out as stewards, progressing to stand managers and now leadership positions.

Claire Harkness, Operations Director at Coventry Building Society Arena, has more than 29 years’ experience in event management, venue operations and event safety.

She said: “This was a first for Coventry Building Society Arena but it certainly won’t be the last time we run an event of this scale with an all-female led safety team.

“It was a proud moment for me and the team, who worked tirelessly to deliver a brilliant event and ensure all visitors to the stadium for the Lionesses fixture were able to enjoy the match in a safe environment.

“From my experience it is incredibly rare to have a safety team led by all females but that shows how the events and venue industry is changing.

“Katie and Emily have been with the venue for a number of years, starting out as matchday stewards and now leading teams, and it has been wonderful to see how they have developed over the last 12 months.”