News / tradespeople
World Cup winner fronts DWP campaign to inspire young people into trades
World Cup winner Hannah Botterman is the face of a new campaign launched by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) encouraging more young people to consider careers in the trades.
The campaign comes amid reports of a major skills gap in traditional trades such as construction, plumbing, plastering, and painting and decorating.
A research commissioned by Kingfisher plc (owners of Screwfix) found the UK is currently facing a skill shortage of around 166,000 tradespeople, a figure projected to rise to approximately 250,000 by 2030, if the current trend continues.
Before establishing herself as a formidable presence in the scrum for Bristol Bears Women and Red Roses, Botterman was transforming rooms with a paintbrush – a hands-on career that helped shape her ethos into professional sport.
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Known affectionately as “Bots” to her fans, she has used her platform to champion alternative routes into employment and challenge the idea that success must follow a traditional academic path.
The Bristol Legends nominee’s journey was far from conventional.
After stepping away from rugby following her time at Hartpury College, Botterman worked as a painter and decorator before returning to the sport and earning a professional contract in 2019.
She said: “Most of you will know me as a rugby player, but before I played rugby, I was a painter and decorator. That was something I really enjoyed.”
Botterman has spoken openly about living with ADHD and her preference for practical, hands-on work.
World Cup winner and Bristol Legends nominee worked as a painter and decorator before becoming a professional rugby player – photo: England Rugby
Reflecting on her school experience, she added: “Going through school education, I didn’t go to uni. I really didn’t get on with the system. I think about it, my ADHD probably played a part in that.
“Probably when I was 15, I knew I didn’t want to sit behind a desk, but I knew I wanted to go in and do a trade of some sort.”
“Whether it was painting, decorating, brick laying, plastering — whatever it was — I knew that I wanted to be busy, and I wanted to be doing something with my hands,” she said.
“It wasn’t being sat at a desk, it wasn’t doing something super academic.”
She described how fortunate she was to land a job.
“I was really lucky that I kind of fell into painting and decorating with one of my mum’s friends.”
The job gave her a strong sense of achievement.
“Going into painting and decorating allowed me to do that,” she said.
“It made me realise that there wasn’t just one right path to take post-education that can be rewarding and valuable to you, and you can earn a good living off it.”
Botterman reframed what some might view as a challenge into a strength.
“My ADHD also meant that when I was doing something that I enjoyed and I loved and really focused on that task — going into a room, seeing it in a bit of a mess, and freshening it up and making it look nice — I really enjoyed that work,” she said.
“Figuring out pretty early that I wanted to do something differently wasn’t actually a setback for me. It was a huge positive.
“It meant I knew there was something that I could go into, that I would enjoy, that was practical and skill-based.”
DWP has launched a new campaign to get more people into traditional trades – photo: DWP
Through the DWP campaign, she has encouraged young people to explore vocational routes and consider alternatives to traditional career paths.
“If you’re a young person with ADHD, or just want to go the practical route and don’t know where to start, Job Help is an unbelievable tool to allow you to figure out what your next steps will be,” she said.
The campaign highlights resources such as Job Help, which supports people in exploring training opportunities and practical career pathways.
Botterman has become a hugely popular figure at Ashton Gate since joining Bristol Bears Women from Saracens Women in 2023, admired for both her performances and personality.
Alongside Bristol Bears teammates Sarah Bern, Abbie Ward and Lark Atkin-Davies, she played a key role in England’s World Cup triumph, helping the Red Roses bounce back from their narrow defeat in the previous World Cup final in 2022.
In 2025, Botterman signed a two-year contract with Bristol Bears and remains central to head coach Scott Lawson’s plans at the Bear County.
Hannah Botterman, or Bots as she is known to her fans, is a much-loved figure at Ashton Gate – photo: Bristol Bears
Now nominated for the inaugural Bristol Legends award under sport category, will she be able to add another accolade to her already impressive trophy cabinet? There is less than a week to find out.
The awards ceremony at Ashton Gate will be followed by a legendary party in the concourse, with performances from acclaimed Bristol artists like Emily Breeze, Laid Blak, Invisible Circus and a special secret guest. Tickets for the after-party can be purchased here: www.bristol247.com/events/bristol-legends-party/
Main photo: Bristol Bears
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