Fitness programme rolled out to get girls into sport

Kim Douglas, who runs the Heanor session, said the girls enjoy playing football, dodgeball and dance

A fitness programme to get girls into sport that started in Derbyshire is being rolled out across the country this summer.

Big Sister sessions have been running at the William Gregg VC Leisure Centre in Heanor since 2022.

The centre was one of 11 leisure centres run by Places Leisure that launched the project in collaboration with the Women in Sport charity.

Girls aged nine to 15 will now be able to attend sessions when they are introduced at 100 locations across England.

The programme helps girls get into different sports with the support of “Big Sisters” who will be based at the centres, said Places Leisure.

The sisters are peer leaders and supporters from sport, school and community organisations and are trained on the emotional and physical barriers girls face during puberty.

Holly said she feels "proud" after each session

Kim Douglas, a personal trainer who runs the session in Heanor, said she had been running the once-weekly sessions for the past two years.

“It’s quite hard for girls to get into sport,” she said. “They have issues, like body issues, things like that, so we have to help them and get them comfortable and into sport.

“We do dodgeball - anything that’s going to keep them active, really. We’ve done football, piggy in the middle, musical chairs, musical statues; the main one seems to be dance aerobics; that’s what they really enjoy doing.”

“As soon as they hit 11, they’re allowed to come into the gym, and a lot of the girls they start with me when they’re nine years old – and they can’t wait until they’re 11 so they can go in the gym.”

Women in Sport said its research found that six in ten girls feel judgement from others, which stops them from being active.

Holly, aged 10, started going to the sessions earlier this summer, after it was recommended by a friend.

“You can join in and do what you like, you can pick what you want to do,” said Holly. “And it just makes you feel more comfortable, instead of doing it in front of so many older aged people.

“It makes you stay fit. It’s good to get out of the house and do something to stay active. It makes you feel proud of yourself after every lesson.”

The "Big Sister" sessions have been running for about two years