Friends set up bar dedicated to showing women's sport

A café-bar believed to be the first space dedicated to women's sport in Yorkshire aims to improve accessibility for everyone, its founders say.

Hattie Dillon, 22, and Erin Draper, 23, opened Hera Social in York after noticing "no consistency" at venues offering coverage of women's matches.

"If fans of women's sport were to ask for the Women's Super League (WSL) game on a busy Saturday, it's very likely the men's game would take priority," Dillon explains.

She believes many pubs and bars will show games from major women's tournaments such as the World Cup but not regular club fixtures.

"It's not going to help to grow women's sport when it's 100mph and then there's nothing."

Hera Social's schedule will include WSL matches, WTA Tour tennis tournaments and the current women's U17 World Cup, but they will also show men's Premier League fixtures and Formula One academy practice.

Dillon and Draper became friends while working in a supermarket, and later attended college together.

Dillon played football when she was younger and says she "loves how much women's sport in general is growing".

"Football is kind of leading that, it has grown a lot over recent years.

"It's exciting to see the same is going to happen for other sports as well."

Although the friends have worked in retail, and Dillon used to help out at her aunt's pub, Hera Social is their first foray into running a hospitality business.

It joins an small number of venues dedicated to showing women's sport, alongside Rita Ray's in Stockport and Crossbar in Brighton.

"Opening something ourselves was very new for us both," Dillon says.

"It's definitely nerve-wracking. As much as we have so many ideas, there's still so much to learn.

"But we do trust that, especially once we have been trading a few months, we will grow and see where we go from there."

While Hera Social primarily shows women's sport, the space is inclusive to all, according to the pair.

It was important to them to create a venue which people could "come to on their own, chat to us and it's a friendly environment".

"It might just be they want to be sat in a more comfortable space that's a bit more relaxing, less rowdy," Dillon says.

The bar on Gillygate opened its doors for the first time last Saturday, after the friends picked up the keys in September.

"I can imagine for any business owner, opening your doors, you are thinking, 'is anyone going to come?'," Dillon says.

"Thankfully, it was very busy."

Hera Social are recent sponsors of York-based Honeyball United WFC, and in the future, the friends say they hope to build further links with clubs in the city.

"We want to cater for everyone," Dillon says.

"There's so many grassroots teams out there with young girls, you want them to be able to have the accessibility to watch women in sport as well, to look up to them."

The FIFA Women's World Cup is taking place in Brazil next year - and there are already plans in place at Hera Social to mark the tournament.

"We have quite a big garden at the back. For next summer, we're hoping to get a TV out there as well, which will be amazing," Dillon adds.

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