1. Us Girls in Doorstep Sport
Claire Wheeler
Lian Lawrence
Emma Oliver

2. Today’s session Issues that shape girls lives
Type of sport they want us to provide
Us Girls programme, how to make use of resources and insights.
What else do you want to know? Write any questions or topics on post-its.

3. Buzz Quiz! Coloured paper on tables
Hold up the colour that represents your answer!

4. What is being active for girls?
According to the School Health Education Unit survey in 2013: what was the most popular activity girls took part in?
Going to a dance class
Going to the gym
Going for a walk
Going for a swim

5. What is being active for girls?
“Going for a walk” is the most popular activity girls took part in
With 41% of 14 and 15 year olds saying this
Roller Skating and Ice Skating are the most popular activity girls would like to start doing.
(School Health Education Unit survey, 2013)

6. Girls want to get smaller…
1 in 5 primary school girls have been on a diet
1/3 of teenage girls have skipped meals
Approx. 30% of young people are overweight or obese
The Girlguides have introduced the Free Being Me Badge to tackle body image concerns.

7. The looking glass
According to research: what percentage of women say receiving Facebook likes increases their confidence?
34%
68%
42%
57%

8. The looking glass
57% of women say receiving Facebook likes increases their confidence
41% of women are unhappy with their bodies
42% say they de-tag themselves from photos if they don’t like the way they look
(Dove research, Metro, 2014)
“I only got 10 likes in the last 5 minutes. Do you think I should take it down?” The Chainsmokers, Selfie song

9. Is sport socially unacceptable?
1/3 of young girls don’t believe leading an active life is important
They believe it is socially unacceptable to get hot and sweaty
They avoided playing sport because they felt self-conscious and embarrassed while taking part.
(Virgin Active research, Independent, 2014)

10. The world we live in
In the past 10 years, there has been a big change in the lives of girls. And it’s affecting them at every age. To understand our daughters, we have to realise that their childhood is not like ours. To put it bluntly, our 18 is their 14. Our 14 is their 10.
That’s in terms of the pressures, the behaviours and what they are supposed to be and act like, according to the peer norms that exist today and our failure to protect them: for we are partly responsible.
(The Sunday Times, Jan 2013)

11. Lifestyle priorities
(StreetGames Diva Research, 2013)

12. What motivates you to take part in sport and physical activity?
Motivations
What motivates you to take part in sport and physical activity?
Look good, lose weight
Keep fit
New skills, challenges
Fun, friends

13. Motivations Motivations of non and semi sport girls:
Body image – looking good and losing weight
Experience – fun, meeting friends and socialising
Health benefits – keeping fit
Aims and goals – learn new skills, challenge self
Self perception – to feel good about self, relax and de-stress
Highly influenced by opinions of peers

14. Sports and Activities
Individual activities are typically most popular with females
Fitness classes including Street Dance, Zumba, Cheerleading, Street Cheer, Group Exercise, Box Fit, Hoop and Tone are popular as well as swimming, running and cycling
But many females do and want to take part in traditional sports too!
Badminton, tennis, netball, football, basketball, rugby and cricket.

15. Does music feature as an important part of your current sessions?No
I don’t know
Sometimes
Yes

16. Delivery Style
The activity is important but the style in which it is delivered is even more so. It is important to consider:
Previous sporting experience (involvement in school sport)
Type of activity; what’s the latest craze? i.e. Zumba
Style of delivery; informal, welcoming and accommodating
Beginner level with appropriate competition
Importance of hidden or light touch coaching
Music; it will create a more relaxed environment
Cardio Tennis, Footy Fitness, Back to Netball, Return to Rounders

17. By 2017, StreetGames aim to engage 60,000 females in Doorstep Sport
(22,000 have been engaged so far)

18. What is Us Girls? Us Girls is StreetGames’ women and girls programme
Started as a Sport England lottery funded project in 2011
Now been integrated in to the mainstream work of StreetGames
For most areas within StreetGames, there is an equivalent female engagement offer.

19. Us Girls Network Networking and learning opportunities
Sharing best practice
Aligned with regional and cluster meetings
Supported by National team, Regional teams and Doorstep Sport Advisors
Dates of Us Girls networking events coming soon!

20. Us Girls Wales Funding from Sport Wales Calls For Action
£690,000 for 2 year programme
Will develop a diverse network of organisations to mobilise
5000, year old girls
Who live in disadvantaged communities
And are inactive or semi active
Support and leaning from England with Wales experts
Wales Us Girls Project Manager is being recruited to lead the project.

21. Us Girls Rocks Festivals for women and girls aged 14+
Varity of sports and activities
Links to health, wellbeing and beauty providers
Local and regional events
How to deliver events for women and girls How to Guide
Offer for Us Girls Rocks neighbourhood festivals 2015 coming soon!

22. Us Girls Alive
Volunteering programme to develop young females as peer motivators; informal volunteering
Using wellbeing sessions to engage a different female audience
Us Girls Motivators support their friends to engage in healthy lifestyles and exercise
Support is available to run Us Girls Alive projects; branding, session plans, merchandise, best practice.

23. Us Girls Starz Us Girls sessions for 11-13 year olds
4 pilot projects in London with funding from Nike Women’s 10k We Own the Night
Support available; logos, poster templates, press releases
Best practice when pilot is complete.

24. Us Girls Hubs Area based pilot with 6 locations
Supporting girls to see the wider offer in their local community i.e. Us Girls +
Audit of all existing provision
Use Us Girls Motivators to spread the
word and encourage others to join
Loyalty cards and incentives programme

25. Us Girls in Colleges Working with Association of Colleges
35 Us Girls Doorstep Sport Clubs in Colleges
Funding to deliver a minimum of 3 x 10 weeks of activity
10 Colleges will also deliver Us Girls Empowerment Programme
Links to Doorstep Sport Clubs in communities local to each college.

26. Empowerment Programme
COMING SOON!
Training programmes for both female participants and session leaders and project staff
Support project staff to have better conversations with girls on a range of topics
Support girls to feel more confident
Support girls to make a difference to their peers and their community.

27. Doorstep Sport Advisors
Local team of experts are raring to go!
8 Us Girls Specialist Doorstep Sport Advisors have been recruited to cover English regions
Wales coming soon through new project
DSAs are tasked with reigniting Us Girls Networks, provide opportunities for projects to share best practice and learn from others
Supporting Doorstep Sport Clubs and other organisations that need help with their women and girls work.

28. Marketing Support All Us Girls logos are available to use
Us Girls, Rocks and Starz templates are available
Photos are available to use on marketing materials
Example promotional material can be found on the website
How to market your project guide on website

29. Us Girls Merchandise Us Girls merchandise is available to buy
T-shirts, hoodies, bags, nail files, hair brushes
Us Girls Alive, Us Girls Starz also available

30. Us Girls Learning & Training
3 hour Engaging Women and Girls workshop
Us Girls How to Guides
How to deliver events for women and girls – new!
Friends research – coming soon!
Research all available on Us Girls website
EMDP & StreetGames Dance Activator
RSPH Level 1 Award in Health Improvement
RSPH Level 2 Encouraging Physical Activity – coming soon!
RSPH Level 2 Youth Health Champions – coming soon!

31. Fundraising
Fundraising team are available to help with writing bids for women and girls projects
Small grants guidance documents are available too
Fundraising training is also available
Talk to us today about fundraising!

32. This Girl Can
Us Girls has been fully alighted to Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign
We are working to support projects to benefit from the campaign
Us Girls Rocks now carries the partnership logo, poster templates, branded materials are also now available.

33. What else do you need? Questions?
Please help us to improve the offer by telling us what else you need?
Tell us what you want to know more about using the flip chart paper – leave your name and organisation.

34. Contact Website: www.usgirls.org.uk
Facebook: /UsGirlsGetActive
Instagram: UsGirlsGetActive
Sign up for Us Girls Gossip newsletter
Claire Wheeler, Strategic Lead for Equity