#ThisWiltsGirlCan
Following the success of the first This Wilts Girl Can Festival in 2020, we are excited to announce that the festival is returning as part of the Virtual Wiltshire School Games for 2021! Whilst we can't hold the festival in person this year, we hope you are able to experience the same level of fun and excitement, whilst trying out three unique activities.
Click here to enter the Virtual festival experience for 2021!
Check out the feedback and highlights video from the 2020 Festival:
THE INSIGHT BEHIND THE FESTIVAL
The festival aims to offer a non-traditional and female-centred experience of physical activity by allowing girls to participate in taster sessions in three activities, chosen due to their potential to increase and sustain participation. The design of the festival has been informed by research and recommendations by the YST.
- By age 7 girls are already less active than boys and this disparity widens as they move from childhood into adolescence
- Secondary-age girls are more likely to experience barriers to participation than boys.
- The biggest drop-off occurs during the transition from primary to secondary school, with disruption to friendship groups and declining body confidence affecting girls’ participation in PE and sport.
Youth Sport Trust recommendations:
- Take a long-term approaching to engaging girls
- Put developing self-confidence at the heart of PE
- Make PE and sport relevant to girls' lives
- Recognize the power of friends to drive progress
- Develop role models for the future
- Empower girls to design and deliver PE and sport