Women in Sport

Women in Sport Our charity exists to create lasting positive change for women and girls in sport and society✅️
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We are the charity that works to transform sport for every woman and girl in the UK

14/08/2026

Women’s sport has never been more visible.

From record-breaking crowds to growing media coverage, real progress is being made.

But for most women and girls, their everyday reality is very different:

➡️ 1.3m girls who once loved sport disengage in their teens

➡️ There is a 24% gender gap in team sport, with 930,000 fewer girls playing than boys

➡️ Only 62% of women in England meet recommended activity guidelines

Our charity exists to change this.

From exposing the problem through research, to coming up with solutions that keep women and girls active, we are the leading UK charity dedicated to tackling gender inequality in sport.

We want to create a world where no-once is excluded from the joy, fulfilment and lifelong benefits of sport.

Can you help us?

Donate now: https://womeninsport.org/take-action/donate/

📊 Sources: Women in Sport 'Reframing Sport for Teenage Girls' (2022) and Sport England 'Active Lives' (2024-25)

📹 The News Movement

13/08/2026

Come along with us to our Breaking Boundaries Afternoon Tea🫖

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Harrogate yesterday - we know with your passion and with the support of everyone at home, we can achieve our vision of a world where no-one is excluded from the joy, fulfilment and lifelong benefits of sport.

We were thrilled to be joined by our President and Vice President, Olympic legend Tessa Sanderson CBE and Downton star Jim Carter OBE, as well as Jim's wife Dame Imelda Staunton, and David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

A huge thank you to Kibra Active for sponsoring the event and making it possible. This was an important event to us to help us raise vital funds to continue our work⭐

To learn more about how to support our charity you can sign up to our newsletter here: https://womeninsport.org/explore-the-issues/sign-up-to-our-newsletter/

Rudding Park Hotel

13/08/2026

Treat working in sport like any other job📢

In this clip, Premier League match official Sian Massey-Ellis explains that many female match officials working in football still don’t have basic maternity policies in place.

While her contract with the Premier League offers paid maternity leave, many of her peers are putting off starting a family because they’re worried about job security.

This is unacceptable. Until roles in sport are treated like any other career and backed up with the necessary contracts and policies needed to support women, we will not be equal on or off the pitch.

Want to learn more? Sign up to our newsletter here: https://womeninsport.org/explore-the-issues/sign-up-to-our-newsletter/

Thank you to everyone who attended our Breaking Boundaries Afternoon Tea in Harrogate yesterday!💜 It was wonderful to be...
12/08/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended our Breaking Boundaries Afternoon Tea in Harrogate yesterday!💜

It was wonderful to be joined by so many passionate individuals who care about making sure women and girls get the opportunities they deserve in sport.

We were also thrilled to be joined by our President and Vice President, Olympic legend Tessa Sanderson CBE and Downton star Jim Carter OBE, as well as Jim's wife Dame Imelda Staunton, and David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

A huge thank you to Kibra Active for sponsoring the event and making it possible. This was an important event to us to help us raise vital funds to continue our work⭐

The afternoon was a reminder of all the incredible progress women's sport has made - from increased visibility to growing sponsorship. But alongside this progress, it's clear to us that more needs to be done to close the participation gaps we still see between girls and boys, and women and men - particularly in team sport.

We're hopeful that with all the brilliant people in the room yesterday, and our community of supporters across the UK, change is possible.

To learn more about how to support our work - from our much-awaited 2027 London Marathon spots to hosting fundraising events - you can sign up to our newsletter here: https://womeninsport.org/explore-the-issues/sign-up-to-our-newsletter/

Sport gives girls resilience, courage, self-belief and a sense of belonging. Why then, are they STILL being side-lined? ...
12/08/2026

Sport gives girls resilience, courage, self-belief and a sense of belonging.

Why then, are they STILL being side-lined?

Our research shows...

❌ Girls are told they don’t belong in sport as young as 5

🚨 Only 30% of parents believe playing sport is very important for their daughter

😡 45% of girls agree that people think sport is for boys and doesn’t matter for girls

These inequalities don’t disappear when a girl grows up. They have far-reaching consequences for the rest of her life: from physical health to mental wellbeing, self-esteem and even career success.

This International Youth Day, we’re asking our supporters to rally around girls.

Donate to our charity to help us keep girls where they belong – in sport.

Donate now: https://womeninsport.org/take-action/donate/

📸Rodrigo Dos Reis

Former England cricket player Katherine Sciver-Brunt has recently spoken publicly about the challenges of balancing an e...
10/08/2026

Former England cricket player Katherine Sciver-Brunt has recently spoken publicly about the challenges of balancing an elite coaching career with being a mum.

Katherine is married to England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, and the pair welcomed their son Theo in 2025.

"Being a mum, a working mum, the guilt is there. I feel guilty now, thinking about how he's being looked after, should I be doing that?” says Katherine.

"I still have all that to figure out. It's more about letting go and managing that feeling, and knowing that a better me is a better mum to him."

Katherine isn’t alone. Her experiences reflect a wider problem...

While many organisations are updating their maternity policies, the lived reality for many women coaches is that they feel uncomfortable to ask about their rights when planning a pregnancy.

This stems from a pervasive perception within sport that motherhood conflicts with the demands of coaching, particularly within the high-performance environment.

Learn more – read our coaching research here: https://womeninsport.org/resources/reimagining-sport-coaching-designing-a-system-that-works-for-women/

07/08/2026

Our research found that more than 3 in 10 disabled girls said watching the last Paralympics made them feel inadequate.

To explore what might be behind this, we caught up with Marina Logacheva Disability Sports Lead at MATTA, competitive handcyclist and Churchill Fellow on Inclusive Fitness.

Marina has recently launched her report ‘Creating Welcoming Fitness Environments’, sharing her findings of a visit to Australia to learn about the best practices in creating truly accessible spaces.

Learn more and read Marina’s report: https://disabilityinsport.com/report/

The Churchill Fellowship

A few weeks ago, BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight visited Places Leisure centre in Eastleigh who are offering our Big Siste...
06/08/2026

A few weeks ago, BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight visited Places Leisure centre in Eastleigh who are offering our Big Sister membership, giving girls free or discounted access to their centre.

Big Sister members also gain access to girls-only classes and tailored support from female instructors.

South Today spoke to 21-year-old instructor and ‘Big Sister’ Taliyah Brooks to learn about the impact the initiative has on teenage girls.

"They can trust me. They can come and talk to me about periods, about school if they have any problems." says Taliyah.

She said she finds the girls-only environment makes a big difference: "When boys are around that's when the girls sometimes shut down and say 'No, I don't want to do it,' but here they can be free."

Big Sister is running in Places Leisure centres across the country and is helping more than 7,000 girls stay in love with sport through their teenage years.

We want to scale Big Sister, but to do this we need your help.

As a charity we rely on donations to keep our work going: from our ground-breaking research, to our campaigning and lobbying, and our initiatives like Big Sister.

Please consider making a donation today to help us continue our vital work for women and girls.

Donate to our charity: https://womeninsport.org/take-action/donate/

Places Leisure Eastleigh

05/08/2026

Women deserve respect – on and off the pitch📢

In this clip, Premier League match official Sian Massey-Ellis explains how male allies have transformed her experiences at work.

A couple of months ago, we gave evidence to the same Women and Equalities Select Committee inquiry on women working in sport.

We shared the findings of our recent research, which exposed just how hostile sports coaching in the UK is for women.

Like referees and match officials, coaches hold a position of authority in sport, often meaning women are more scrutinised in these male-dominated roles.

This is unacceptable. Women won’t be equal in sport until they are respected in every aspect of the game.

That’s why at Women in Sport, we’re planning something big to make sport – and society – sit up and listen to female coaches...

Be the first to hear about our plans - sign up to our newsletter here: https://womeninsport.org/explore-the-issues/sign-up-to-our-newsletter/

Think couch to 5K... with bikes🚴‍♀️ British Cycling’s new app offers a free 8-week journey that helps people reignite th...
04/08/2026

Think couch to 5K... with bikes🚴‍♀️

British Cycling’s new app offers a free 8-week journey that helps people reignite their love of cycling and build new habits.

Their goal is to get 1 million more people on bikes by 2028, building a community of new regular cyclists for years to come.

Alongside the riding challenge, the app provides support on how to check your bike is safe and road-worthy, as well as how to brush up on your road cycling skills.

This could be particularly beneficial for women, who we know make half as many trips by bike as men, and are more likely to cite safety concerns as being a barrier to cycling.

Sofa to Saddle allows cyclists to go at their own pace, fitting rides in around their real life, without needing any fancy kit.

Important initiatives like this can ensure women and girls get to experience the joy of cycling and the freedom of being on a bike – something everyone deserves the chance to feel👏

Download on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/sofa-to-saddle/id6763315857

Download on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.org.britishcycling.app.s2s

British Cycling

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London

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+442031376263

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