MP backs Girl Can campaign

LOUGHBOROUGH MP Jane Hunt has lent her support to Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign which is helping millions of women and girls get active.

She is also calling for local community groups, charities and sports clubs in the Loughborough constituency to take advantage of the new funding Sport England is making available to help provide activities for women to get active, with the support of deodorant brand Sure Women.

The This Girl Can Community Fund is open for applications until February 25 and will be awarding grants of between £300 and £10,000 to 50 community groups and projects across England who are creating opportunities for women to get active or play sport.

Sport England first launched the National Lottery funded campaign in 2015 in response to fewer women than men being regularly active - despite 75 per cent saying they would like to do more.

It has received widespread praise for its realistic and empowering portrayal of women and girls, and to date has encouraged more than 2.9 million women to take up more sport or physical activity as a result.

Ms Hunt said: “With Loughborough’s sporting background, I’m proud to support Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign to get more women and girls active. However, there’s still more to do – with recent research undertaken by Sport England showing that 63 per cent of women say that the way exercise is often portrayed on social media has a negative impact on them.

“That is why I am encouraging constituents to apply for the funding that Sport England has made available.

“I’d urge local groups and organisations – not just sports clubs, but any community groups who work with women and want to arrange activities or classes to encourage women to get active to apply for funding from Sport England.”