Girls Get Active event aims to tackle teenage disengagement in sport

Around 60 Year 9 girls from four Guernsey secondary schools will be taking part in a full day of fun sport and physical activity on Wednesday 22nd June as part of the Guernsey Sports Commission’s Girls Get Active convention.

‘There’s a wealth of evidence that shows that teenage girls are disengaging with sport and physical activity,’ said Nicky Will from the Commission.

‘There are lots of reasons for this including self-belief, capability and body image and yet we know that being active and taking part in sport has a positive impact on both mental and physical health.

‘We are hoping that our event will give the girls who take part some different and hopefully fun opportunities to try something new and encourage them to think about sport and keeping fit in a more positive way.’

The girls will take part in a range of activities all led by inspirational female coaches including boxing, dance, cricket, yoga, home workouts and strength and conditioning exercises using netballs.

‘Thanks to our amazing sponsors, Sovereign Group, Investec, Ogier and the Sarah Groves Foundation we are able to provide all the girls who attend with a goody bag to take home with some skincare treats and a set of exercise bands which they can use to workout at home,’ said Nicky.

‘All the girls will be given a tasty lunch and healthy snacks provided by The Raw Store to fuel them throughout the day and as well as our sports activities we will also have a group session exploring how the girls feel about physical activity and what they feel are some of the barriers to them taking part in sport. Hopefully we can use this information to inform what the Commission might be able to offer to our secondary schools by way of alternative options for PE or after school clubs.

‘We are going to finish the day with a group yoga and relaxation session followed by a final chance to feedback on what the girls enjoyed about the day and also what they didn’t!

‘The Commission wants to say a massive thank you to our sports coaches Mandy Hobart, Boxing Development Officer; Amy Fallaize, Netball Development Officer; Hannah Eulenkamp, Guernsey Cricket’s Women and Girls Development Officer; Julie Haimes our Community Dance officer; Ali Martin and Kate Harding from Upgrade Fitness and Caroline Wickham from Power Yoga for giving up their time to support Girls Get Active.

‘Also, thanks to Beau Sejour and their staff for hosting us for the day,’ said Nicky.

The Girls Get Active convention forms part of the Guernsey Sports Commission’s response to the Active 8 Plan for Sport, the States of Guernsey’s agreed sports strategy.

‘Tackling some of the more ‘hard to reach’ groups such as teenage girls who may have disengaged from sport and physical activity is a key part of delivering on the overarching objectives of the Plan,’ said Nicky.

‘The more people we can get more active more often the better.’