Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting around a parliamentary roundtable hosted by Rachel Taylor MP, alongside students and leaders from across the sport sector. From governing bodies to youth charities, we were all there to discuss a topic that is deeply important: why do so many teenage girls disengage from sport?

Representing the Youth Sport Trust (YST), I joined the conversation to shine a light on both my experiences as a team leader and my lived experience as a teenage girl who was one of five girls in her PE class, as well as someone who has been part of the Girls Active programme with YST. We spoke about the barriers girls face: body image concerns, fear of judgement, lack of inclusive environments, lack of facilities and equipment, as well as the pressure of perfectionism. It became clearer to me that sport is often created for girls, but not with them.

What struck me most was the collective agreement that the solution lies in listening to girls, involving them in creating safe and empowering spaces, and reframing what PE and sport means to those girls.

This conversation was quite personal for me because sport and youth leadership have been a huge anchor in my life and I know they can be for other girls too, if we get this right.

Leaving parliament, I felt proud, energised and hopeful. Being in that room as a young woman, a team leader, and an advocate reminded me that change isn’t something that’s so far out of reach. It’s happening now and I had the honour of being a part of it!

This experience shows that young voices matter, and when we’re invited to these places, we bring insight, passion, and urgency. I’m super grateful to the Youth Sport Trust for championing youth voice and creating opportunities like this.