The Youth Sport Trust welcomes the Fair Play for Girls report published recently by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood and discussed at today’s meeting of the APPG in Parliament. The Youth Sport Trust was pleased to contribute alongside other key stakeholders from a range of sectors to the report, which highlights the urgent need for equitable opportunities for girls in football.

The wide-ranging report looks at the historical perspective of girls and sport, as well as the role elite and grassroots sport play in facilitating opportunities for girls. As a charity committed to promoting youth voice, we were particularly pleased to see the inclusion of a chapter dedicated to real life examples of good and bad practice from girls in sport; it is important that these voices are heard and acted on to deliver change which is meaningful and authentic. At the conclusion of the report we were pleased to see the following three points included in the proposed fair play charter, which are core to our mission and we have championed in our manifesto released earlier this year.

• PE to be made a core subject within the National Curriculum as well as within improved Initial Teacher Training
• The Government should legislate to guarantee play sufficiency across England and a duty for local authorities to provide such opportunities in every community supported by the resources to do so.
• Develop and implement a National Plan for active and well schools.

Ali Oliver, CEO of Youth Sport Trust said:

“We know from our annual Girls Active survey, young girls want to be more active, but there are barriers stopping them taking part, such as not being confident, having their period, being watched by others, and worrying about how they look. As a result, enjoyment levels in PE are falling for girls compared to boys and this is a trend we all need to reverse.

“The Fair Play for Girls report puts forward a number of ideas to guarantee all girls and young women can benefit from the life changing power of physical activity, PE, sport and play. Many of the recommendations echo our own, and by speaking with one voice, our sector is providing clear direction about the changes necessary to empower girls to be more active.

“As the election nears, we hope this growing consensus and demand for change will inform policy development and implementation. I hope government and all political parties will reflect on the recommendations set out in the report, and as a result we see societal change through policy and practice to ensure that all girls experience the life changing benefits of play, physical activity and sport.”