Dame Kelly Holmes – Dedicated to getting Girls Active
This January, as part of the Norwich Union GirlsActive scheme, Dame Kelly Holmes is visiting schools across the country to review their action plans for engaging more girls aged 13 to 16 in PE and sport. This follows on from a series of student/teacher roadshows at the end of 2007 which investigated the barriers preventing girls doing more sport.
Norwich Union GirlsActive, run by the Youth Sport Trust, was set up in response to research indicating that girls are less active than boys and are more likely to drop out of sport at an early age. Recent government research commissioned by the DCSF* states that:
- Most school year groups are achieving high levels of participation, except pupils in years 10 and 11, where participation rates are currently 63% compared to the 86% average;
- Whereas levels of boys’ participation in sport remain steady throughout secondary school, girls are disengaging with physical education by the age of 16 and are five times more likely to do no sport at 16 than at aged 12;
- Research from the 2006 Norwich Union GirlsActive roadshows showed that, when asked what they believed would get more girls active, the girls almost exclusively suggested the need for alternative forms of physical activity, such as street dance, boxercise and indoor climbing, as well modernisations to be made to both their changing rooms and PE kits;
- And research from the 2007 Norwich Union GirlsActive roadshows showed that one in four girls surveyed reported that they think it unlikely that they will be physically active when they leave school.
Dame Kelly Holmes, the National School Sport Champion - a government backed role managed by the Youth Sport Trust and supported by Norwich Union – has tasked the girls and their teachers to develop an action plan to implement in their schools, demonstrating how to tackle the issue of why girls are disengaged with sport,
Out of the 100 School Sport Partnerships that attended the roadshows, five partnerships have been selected to receive a visit from Dame Kelly Holmes, so she can see for herself how they are implementing their ideas for change. Over the coming weeks Dame Kelly Holmes will be getting involved in changing room makeovers, and question and answer sessions as well as participating in non-traditional PE activities.
Dame Kelly Holmes said: “It is a concern that research continuously shows that girls are more likely to drop out of sport than boys. I believe it is vital that School Sport Partnerships keep working with their pupils to develop strategies for getting more girls to participate in sport, both inside and outside of school hours, and deliver sporting activity that is designed specifically for girls to keep them interested. We know more young people are taking part in more sport, but now is the time to up the ante, particularly in the run up to London 2012, so that sport and an active lifestyle become an integral part of the lives of all our young people.”
Steve Grainger, Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said: “Norwich Union GirlsActive is designed to support schools as they look to make the whole experience of sport and physical activity in school more appealing to teenage girls, who we know are less likely to take part compared to boys. By encouraging the girls to discuss with their teachers the barriers to participation, such as the choice of activities on offer or what PE kit they wear, huge steps can be taken towards getting more girls more active, not just at school but in the future.”
Tanya Veingard, Head of Sponsorship at Norwich Union, said: “We are committed to making it easier for girls to get active, and are encouraged by Dame Kelly’s enthusiasm for helping to provide opportunities for girls to access the type of sporting activities that they may never have experienced before. As the team behind UK Athletics, supporting the sport from playground to podium, we believe that through Norwich Union GirlsActive we are not only providing these girls with the tools to deal with life’s challenges but also helping to find future champions.”
The Norwich Union GirlsActive visits take place in Waltham Forest London, Hampshire, Durham, Leicester and Plymouth on Jan 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th and April (date TBC). The five winning partnerships are the: Norlington School Sports Partnership, Waltham Forest; Sedgefield School Sports Partnership, Durham; Crown Hills, Leicester School Sports Partnership and Plymstock School Sports Partnership in Plymouth.
To find out more about Norwich Union GirlsActive click here.
To find out more about Norwich Union click here.