Hundreds of Birmingham women braved the rain on Sunday to mark International Women’s Day with a city-wide celebration of exercise and physical activity.
This Brum Girl Can day was the city’s response to Sport England’s highly successful This Girl Can campaign, which aims to tackle the fear of judgement that prevents many women taking part in sport and activity.
Activities funded by grants from Sport Birmingham included:
• An all women takeover of Small Heath Leisure Centre
• Cycling from Cannon Hill Park to the city centre
• A Jiggle, Wiggle, Giggle Danceathon at Gatecrasher
• Swing Dance and Hoola Hoops at Cotteridge Park
• Fly fishing
• Tennis for visually impaired people
• Archery and orienteering
• Canoeing, sailing and rowing
Cllr Lisa Trickett, Cabinet Member for a Green, Smart and Sustainable City, said: “This was an inspirational day of free fun across the city, marking International Women's Day by getting more Birmingham women physically active.
“The aim was for women to have fun without worrying about being seen as overweight, not fit enough or too old and I think the many women who took part really proved that This Birmingham Girl Can.
“This is all part of Sport England’s brilliant This Girl Can campaign, which aims to show that women of all shapes, sizes and levels of ability can and do enjoy sport and physical activity.”
Mike Chamberlain, CEO of Sport Birmingham added: “This is a huge success story - the national ‘This Girl Can’ campaign has been embraced by the communities of Birmingham who have been inspired to create new activity for women and girls, helped by a grant funding pot being used to put on hundreds of events across the City.
“Sport Birmingham are excited about awarding these grants and are committed to support the organisations to maintain new activity after today, so that there is a fitting legacy to the campaign. What really matters is that there are thousands more women and girls taking up activity, loving it, and then keeping it going as part of their daily lives.”
