Clubs and charities asked to help tackle gender gap in sports

Local sports clubs and activity providers are being asked to help make Brighton & Hove the UK capital of women and girls in sport.

Having hosted major tournaments, including the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 and last year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup, Brighton & Hove is already established as a city that champions women’s sport. 

Now we're keen to build on that reputation and create a sustained legacy of women and girls’ participation in sport at all levels in a bid to tackle long-standing inequalities. 

Celebrate achievements and share opportunities

The Sport Lifts Her Higher campaign launched last month focuses on creating more local opportunities for girls to try different sports and to celebrate the achievements of women and girls across the city.

As part of the campaign, local clubs and activity providers are invited to complete a survey which will help us better understand the current participation levels and any barriers for women and girls participating in sport and physical activities.

Amazing work already being done

Councillor Bella Sankey, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, said: “We know so much amazing work is already being done to encourage more women and girls to play sport in the city. 

“We want our campaign to be not just about what the council is doing but also an opportunity for us to help celebrate and learn from the work others are already doing.

“We know there are genuine mental and physical wellbeing benefits to playing sport, but also that, sadly, women and girls are currently less likely to do so than men.”

Girls missing out on physical activity compared to boys

In Brighton & Hove, a recent survey found only 15% of secondary-school-age girls had done an hour of physical activity every day for the past week, compared with 27% of boys. In primary schools, 22% of girls met that target, compared with 34% of boys.

Research shows girls across the UK are missing out on 1.4 hours of sport a week compared with boys – the equivalent of 52 football matches a year. 

One in three girls also said that they felt boys had access to a wider range of sports.

However, more than half of girls surveyed said watching professional athletes inspired them to play, and two-thirds agreed that seeing diverse athletes taking part showed sport was for everyone.

Clubs encouraged to share their experiences

Activity providers and local clubs are also invited to share details of their sessions and success stories via the survey.

During the campaign, we will showcase work being done by clubs and share stories of local role models through our social media channels to promote the wide range of sporting opportunities available across the city.

Team effort to close the gender gap

Councillor Sankey added: “We’re determined to close this gender gap and tackle historic inequalities – but it will be very much a team effort, so we’d really like to hear from clubs and groups already working in this area.

“We want every woman and girl to feel that sport is for them, and I know that is an aspiration shared by many throughout our city.”

The survey is on our YourVoice platform and will run until Saturday 28 February.