£100,000 Sport England funding gets girls moving in Sheffield

The city has been awarded £100,000 of Sport England’s This Girl Can funding for a project aimed at inspiring more women and girls to get moving and to prove that the common barriers many women face such as judgement, time, money and energy can be overcome.

Sheffield City Council made a successful bid to Sport England for the funding and is now working in partnership with local communities and community organisations to promote and deliver activities in a way that will reach more women and will help them to take up exercise that meets their needs.

Four community organisations; Manor and Castle Development Trust, Shipshape, SOAR and Zest, are leading this initiative across the city, each with a new dedicated This Girl Can officer recruited to work directly with women in the community.

Councillor Mary Lea, cabinet member for culture, parks and leisure, said: “Exercise has a huge positive impact on mental and physical wellbeing and we want all women to be able to enjoy being active no matter what barriers they believe are stopping them.

“This significant funding allows us to work closely with women and girls, getting to the heart of our communities so that we can identify the issues they face and tailor the way we deliver activities to overcome them.

“Exercise can be very easy here in The Outdoor City, where we have more than 800 green spaces, and whether it’s a gentle walk, a short jog, fitness classes, or a walk or ride along the Trans Pennine Trail, we also have four fantastic dedicated women who are passionate about helping others become more active. Together we want to empower all women to find something that works for them, because we believe that in Sheffield, every girl can.”

Since the funding was awarded in April, the council has been developing plans to directly target local women and girls. After commissioning the four community organisations and recruiting the dedicated activity officers, community outreach work has already started.

FROM THE EDITOR

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