Girls from primary schools across Tamworth came together last month for our latest Move Your Way Festival, spending the day trying new activities, building confidence and discovering different ways to be active.
Held at Tamworth Athletics Club, the festival welcomed 182 girls from eight schools, giving them the opportunity to try Hockey, Cricket, Kin-Ball, Pickleball, Netball, Fencing and Quidditch in a fun, supportive environment.
The festival forms part of Move Your Way, Together Active’s programme delivered through the This Girl Can movement, which aims to help girls build confidence, discover activities they enjoy and develop positive relationships with movement.
The latest Sport England Active Lives data shows that girls in Stoke-on-Trent remain 11% less likely to be active than boys. Through programmes like Move Your Way, we’re working with schools, partners and communities to help create positive experiences of movement that encourage more girls to get active in ways that work for them.
Our Children and Young People Lead, Charlotte Barnard, who organised the festival, said:
“The energy throughout the day was incredible. The girls showed real enthusiasm, tried something new and got stuck in, with smiles all round. A key part of the event was listening to the girls’ voices. By giving them the opportunity to share which activities they enjoyed most, we can help shape the opportunities offered back in their schools and ensure they reflect what girls actually want. Events like this are so important in building confidence, creating positive experiences of movement and inspiring more girls to stay active long-term.”
The festival wouldn’t have been possible without the fantastic support of Jim Tipper, School Games Organiser, who worked alongside Together Active to connect schools across Tamworth and help bring the day to life.
From the early conversations with local schools through to supporting the planning and delivery of the festival, Jim played a key role in making sure more girls had the opportunity to take part.
Reflecting on the festival, Jim said:
“Having spoken with local schools earlier this year, it was clear there was a real appetite for a girls-only event. It was fantastic to see more than 180 girls getting involved, trying activities they may never have experienced before and having so much fun throughout the day. The best part is that this is only the beginning. Schools will now choose which activities they want to take back into school so even more girls can continue taking part.”
The feedback from schools has also been overwhelmingly positive.
Throughout the day, teachers told us how valuable it was to see girls trying activities they may not normally experience in school, stepping outside their comfort zones and encouraging one another to get involved. Many also shared how excited the girls were to continue the activities once they returned to school.
One teacher shared:
“My girls came back from your event so excited and joyful. They’ve told me all about the sports they’ve tried and already want to play them back at school.”
Another added:
“Even in the heat, some of our most reluctant girls enjoyed an afternoon of physical activity. On the way there they were quiet and a little nervous. On the way back every one of them were smiling and singing together.”
The day was brought to life by an incredible team of activity providers, each creating fun, welcoming sessions that encouraged girls to try something new, build confidence and discover activities they may never have experienced before.
From introducing completely new sports to sharing their passion and expertise, every provider played an important role in making the festival such a success.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to England Hockey, Staffordshire Cricket, Pickleball England, Kin-Ball UK, British Fencing, Netball England and Commando Joe’s, who introduced the girls to Quidditch.
England Hockey Coach, Josephine Rice said:
“Fantastic to see the continued impact of organisations across Staffordshire and the West Midlands, creating safe, welcoming spaces where girls can discover and enjoy sport. The work being led by Together Active is helping to inspire confidence, encourage participation and open up new opportunities for young people. England Hockey is proud to support such an important initiative.”
What happens next?
One of the most important parts of Move Your Way starts after the festival.
Each school will now vote for the activities their girls enjoyed the most. Together Active will then work with schools and activity providers to bring one or more of those activities back into school, providing resources and support so that even more girls can continue taking part.
By giving girls a genuine say in what happens next, we’re helping schools create opportunities that reflect what young people actually enjoy, rather than assuming one size fits all.
We’ll also be sharing more about what we heard from girls and teachers throughout the day, and how those conversations are helping shape future opportunities for young people across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
A huge thank you to every school, teacher, volunteer, activity provider and partner who helped make the day such a success. Together, we’re helping more girls find activities they enjoy, build confidence and discover that movement can look different for everyone.
This is just the start of the story. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more about what we heard from girls and teachers throughout the day, and how those conversations are already shaping future opportunities in schools across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
