To mark the eighth anniversary of Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week (September 30-October 6), Scottish Government Ministers have been visiting the projects across the country which are working to encourage more women and girls to take part in sport and physical activity.
This year the campaign focuses on leadership, celebrating the strong leaders and role models who motivate and inspire others to take part in sport and physical activity as well as remove barriers which discourage women and girls from participating.
Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, visited the Dunfermline Learning Campus today to meet a group of young female leaders from Fife Active Schools young leaders programme as well as the staff that have supported them on through their journey in sport.
Fife’s Active Schools team work with primary, secondary and additional support needs schools to increase the quality and range of opportunities to participate in sport before school, during lunchtime and after school. Leadership opportunities for young people are one of Active Fife’s most key areas of investment.
They offer a wide range of leadership roles, across a range of age groups, that support young people to develop their knowledge, skills and experience to reach their full potential. The programmes include different training dependent on age and experience but include: public speaking and social media; sports psychology; lifestyle and media training; injury prevention; overcoming challenges and session planning.
The Young Leadership Pathway gives pupils from P6 through to S6 the opportunity to engage in leadership opportunities. These programmes are delivered across all 18 school clusters with over 800 young people recruited into these roles and actively developing their leadership skills on a termly basis.
St Columba’s RC High School and Woodmill High School have relocated to the recently opened Dunfermline Learning Campus, which will also host Fife College next year.
Ms Gilruth heard from young leaders at both schools about their journey in sport. Young leaders Caitlin Tracey, Georgia Renton, Caoimhe Gibney. Hayley Sneddon. Jessica Murphy and Lucy Hamilton shared how the Active Fife leadership programme and helped them in their sports and beyond.
Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week aims to reach as many women and girls across Scotland as possible. The campaign is designed to show women that whatever their age, location or life stage, there is a sport or physical activity that’s right for them. The hope is to reach as many women and girls as possible to help boost their physical, mental and social health which all comes from being active.
The week also provides an opportunity to promote the visibility and participation of women and girls as role models in sport and physical activity to help break down barriers and inspire women and girls to be active.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said:
“It’s been a pleasure to meet the young female leaders from Fife Active Schools Young Leaders Programme, their commitment to leadership and sport is exemplary and I’ve enjoyed learning more about the work they are doing to encourage more women and girls to participate in physical activity.
“The Scottish Government understands the importance of sport and physical activity for women and girls and the positive impact it can have both mentally and physically. We will continue to work with partners such as sportscotland to increase participation across all groups and Women and Girls in Sport Week is a key opportunity to showcase this work.”
Fife Council's education spokesperson Cllr Cara Hilton commented:
"Our Active Schools team do an amazing job encouraging and motivating our young people to get involved in sports and physical activities.
"I hope this week encourages as many girls and women as possible to get involved in sport if they don't already, and see for themselves the difference it can make to their physical and mental health, as well as the opportunity to socialise and meet new people."
Chief Executive of sportscotland, Forbes Dunlop, said: “Sport makes a huge impact on people and communities across Scotland every day, and sportscotland’s aim is to help make sport accessible to all.
“Women and Girls in Sport Week is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the great work being delivered across the sporting system to encourage more women and girls to become physically active.
“There are so many inspirational role models working to create opportunities for women and girls to follow their own sporting journey, it is important that those people and the projects they contribute to are recognised and this campaign gives us a great opportunity to do that.”
