Salford women are invited to a week-long event to celebrate and encourage them to get involved in sport, organised by Salford Student Union.
This Girl Can is Sport England’s nationwide campaign to get “women and girls moving, regardless of shape, size and ability.”
Starting on 19 November and continuing throughout the week, Salford University’s women’s sports teams are setting up events for everyone to take part in, including a netball tournament, a women-only swim and self-defence classes.
Aimee Wright, an ambassador for the campaign at the SU, who studies at the University, said that she wants people who aren’t ‘sporty’ to get involved in the week.
She added: ‘It’ll be a great inclusive thing.’
The campaign came to Salford in 2016, with women local to the city being chosen to ‘spearhead’ the movement after the local average of women who weren’t involved in sport or exercise in Salford was more than 20 per cent higher than the national average.
Wright said the campaign was targeted at primarily encouraging younger women to get into sport, however she thinks it should be aimed at all age ranges.
Jennifer Earl, who is a University librarian but also an ambassador for the campaign, said: ‘all different shapes and sizes’ and taking away disabilities so people could get involved in sport.
She added: “I did no sport as a child, I had never run before 2 years ago.”
The ambassadors want to get the message out there that you don’t have to be ‘sporty’ to get involved.
To our buggy pushers, first time swimmers, trampoliners and Zumba dancers. To the women getting active inside, outside, on wheels and in their pyjamas. To all the women fitting exercise into their already busy lives, this one is for you. #FitGotReal #ThisGirlCan pic.twitter.com/YW8S1LuQi7
— This Girl Can (@ThisGirlCanUK) October 26, 2018
Officially, the current ambassadors for Salford shouldn’t be fronting the campaign anymore. However, after being so pro-active, the council have kept them heading the campaign until 2019 when Sport England are looking at ridding the campaign of the ambassador role.
Wright said: “As long as there has been change and as long as it has worked, I feel like it has done its job.”
She added, in relation to students thinking about taking part in the week: “If you don’t do sport and you’re scared of doing it just go. Give it a try.”
The week run by the University commences on the 19th November until the 23rd November, and any girls at the institution are able to take part.
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