Culture, media, and sport minister Lucy Frazer dropped into an under 16 girls training session at Soham in her own SE Cambridgeshire constituency. Apart from chatting to the players, she praised her hosts, Living Sport, who “are incredibly active in my constituency, sponsoring and delivering a range of projects that help people keep fit, learn new skills and build community”.
Ms Frazer said: “It was my pleasure to speak with fifteen of their beneficiaries, the Soham Town Rangers U16 Girls team, about their enjoyment of the game and their progress this season.
“I am delighted that charities like Living Sport are complementing the government’s work to invest in better football facilities and widen access to the sport”.
Living Sport CEO Samantha Hyde said: “It was great that Lucy as a role model and MP came to visit our Girls U16s football team; it makes such a positive impact.
“To have the recognition that our targeted focus on addressing need, drawing together powerful collaborations, is supported, means a lot. As an organisation we have grown by over 50% in a year as we strive and stretch our capacity to respond to growing need.
“People want choices and to know how to be active and are seeking direction and change. Living Sport as a charity, for the investment we have, gives that tenfold. We can do so much more of course and have the determination and drive to support the places and communities with the resource we have.”
The partnership between Living Sport and Soham Town Rangers U16 Girls has been inspired by the recent This Girl Can campaign ‘closing the Enjoyment Gap’.
This Girl Can carried out research that revealed 2.4m more men than women strongly agree that they enjoy sport and physical activity. Identifying that 2.4m women are missing out on the opportunity to relieve stress, build connections and improve self-esteem, this is known as the Enjoyment Gap.
Over the last year, Living Sport have visited and engaged with the U16 girls’ team and worked with them to understand their needs and ambitions. They shared they needed warmer and more suitable training kit, for the colder months.
Living Sport worked collaboratively with the team to choose the kit and sponsored it. This consultation is continuing this season, with open communication around the reasons girls drop out of sport and what can be done to reduce this alongside closing the enjoyment gap.
Living Sport is an independent charity focused on improving the health, happiness, and wellbeing of the people of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
They work collaboratively with partners and communities to support more people to be active in a way that works for them. Living Sport’s vision is of lives and communities improved by people being more active.
