Introducing This Girl Can

This Girl Can is a celebration of the active women who are doing their thing no matter how they do it, how they look or even how sweaty they get.

It’s a national campaign developed by Sport England and a wide range of partnership organisations, to inspire more women and girls to move and prove that judgement is a barrier that can be overcome.

Run England is encouraging registered groups to get involved and consider how they can create more opportunities for more women to get involved in the sport.

This Girl Can is a major cross-media campaign kicking off in January 2015, so you are likely to see advertising on television as well as on billboards in the street.

If your group has, or is able to create, opportunities for women to take their first steps into becoming involved in running and athletics the campaign and the resources being made available to you should help you make the most of the work that you do.

The fact that this campaign is being launched represents a great opportunity for running groups to reach out to new participants and encourage new people to enjoy the benefits of running.

By every measure, fewer women than men take part in sport. But with 75% of 14-40 year-old women in England wanting to exercise more, Sport England took a long look into what it is that is stopping them. Reasons ranged from getting sweaty in front of people, believing that they’re not fit or good enough and not having the right equipment. Even the word “sport” has negative connotations for many women.

Sport England looked closely at the various reasons behind the gender gap in sport participation and came up with one key insight that sums up why more women aren’t getting active. Women know they should be exercising – and most want to – a huge amount of them aren’t. And it is the fear of judgement that’s getting in the way.

That’s where This Girl Can comes in – the big message to women that they come in all shapes and sizes and all levels of ability. It really doesn’t matter if you think you are rubbish or an expert.

How to get involved

Group leaders can sign up their groups to get updates on This Girl Can at the Sport England website at www.sportengland.org/our-work/equality-diversity/women/this-girl-can.

You can now register as a partner and for resources at www.thisgirlcan.co.uk/register. Note that your application for registration will be reviewed by Sport England.

The This Girl Can website is at www.thisgirlcan.co.uk. The campaign officially launches on 12 January 2015.