GIRLS FIRST

Sports Horizons

Girls First

A Welsh Secondary School Challenge

Girls First is a challenge for secondary schools to help raise the level of girls participation in sport. This has been a cause for concern for a long time and research shows that adolescent girls are less likely to participate in sport than their male counterparts.

The Sports Council for Wales offers secondary schools £1,000 if they can produce imaginative proposals to deliver new opportunities for extra-curricular activities for girls. The emphasis is on providing new and fun approaches to extra-curricular activity, especially to those girls who would otherwise have little interest in sport.

The ‘Challenge’ aims to fund innovative approaches to the development of girls sport with priority being given to girls transferring from primary to secondary school, ensuring they are given positive experiences at the earliest opportunity.

Schools in Bridgend County Borough are now entering their final phase of ‘Girls First’ with every secondary school working together to create new opportunities for girls. The projects have been so successful that they have been recognised as the ‘model’ scheme by Sports Council for Wales and also received the National Significant Achievement Award for Sports Development. Activities have ranged from traditional team sports through to competitive dance and health related fitness.

The ‘FIT IN’ campaign is a Wales-wide promotion, spearheaded by the Sports Council for Wales to help raise the profile of women and girls sport and encourage higher levels of participation.

For further information on women and girls sport in Wales, why not visit the FIT IN website: www.fit-in.co.uk