In the first article of a new series profiling people in the Stevenage and North Herts community, we speak to Dani Toyn, head of community engagement at Stevenage FC Foundation and general manager of Stevenage FC Women.

What does your job at Stevenage FC Foundation involve?

I am Head of Community Engagement which involves me looking after any community based delivery which doesn’t take place in a school.

This includes our Youth Engagement Provision and our Holiday Camp provision, as well as managing the Women and Girls talent pathway, including the Senior Women’s setup.

What brought you to the Foundation?

I joined the Foundation in 2012 as a community sports apprentice, after completing a year at sixth form that I wasn't enjoying.

My school hosted a careers fair, I spoke with staff from Stevenage FC Foundation, and from there I applied and was successful in gaining an apprenticeship.

What does a typical working day look like?

Due to the variety of programmes I oversee, every day is different as I like to allocate a set amount of time per week to each element of the job.

Usually the women and girls side of the role takes up the majority of my week as this is the only project I directly manage without the support of a project lead.

I try to regularly meet new potential partners who can support us to grow our work, and I also manage eight staff members too so trying to support them is a focus of mine.

Which part of your job brings you the most joy?

The old saying of ‘choose a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life’ is one that I really believe in.

My personal passion has always been around women and girls sport and providing opportunities for all.

When I look at how far our Women and Girls pathway has come in the last few years and when I stand at our FA Emerging Talent Centre sessions on a Friday evening, I’m very proud of it and have enjoyed every step of getting it to where it is now.

Have you got any exciting plans for the future at the Foundation?

For me, I’d like to continue to expand and grow my area, particularly looking at Youth Engagement.

I think there are so many opportunities to collaborate with others to support young people in Stevenage and if we, as the Foundation can be the sporting hook that engages young people then that’s great.

We run a fantastic Premier League Kicks programme which I’d love to develop and grow further.

Do you know somebody who you think should be profiled as one of the Faces of Stevenage or North Herts? Get in touch at chris.day@newsquest.co.uk