A Sport England-backed campaign to encourage young women to get active has been sharing how East Lancashire Learning Group is using the power of “student voice” to shape its highly successful approach.

From social media campaigns and female-only classes to “Steps and Socials”, a lunchtime walking club, the extra-curricular team have been singled out in a feature article on This Girl Can’s official website.

The feature shines a spotlight on the work taking place at Nelson and Colne College over the past year as well as a student-led week of young-women-only activities, designed and shaped by student voice, to engage students in physical activity on their campus.

The initiative is powered by the college’s This Girl Can Ambassadors who play vital role in shaping the programme. During the last academic year, students Megan Wheeler and Olivia Marsden worked closely with their peers to gather feedback on the activities they wanted to see.

Keiran Adamson, our Extra-Curricular Co-ordinator says the number of young women who are taking part has really shown the demand for tailored activities:

“During our first event, we were able to engage almost 150 young women who were participating in an activity for the first time.

“This showed us both the demand for female-only sessions as well as the importance of creating safe spaces where young women feel comfortable trying something new.

“That was something key we learned from listening to students and putting their concerns front of mind.”

Another concern was the timing of sessions, with many students saying they were unable to attend for multiple reasons.

Keiran says that was a key finding:

“We had to rethink our approach to ensure we could overcome these barriers.

“We then started by identifying which activities we could deliver over a lunch period to ensure they were as accessible as possible.

“Students were then able to book privately or drop into sessions at times which worked for them.”

What has impressed Keiran the most is the passion and commitment of female students to keep these developments growing and moving forward:

“We have three fantastic ambassadors this year, Amelia Normington (pictured), Olivia Marsden and Megan Wheeler, who have been constantly engaging with students to ensure we are providing the right activities in the right place at the right time.

“They always have an eye to the future too, coming up with their own additions. It’s truly inspiring.”

You can read the full This Girl Can article by clicking the following link – https://www.thisgirlcan.co.uk/campaign-hub/supporter-community/east-lancashire-learning-group

Join a college where you can use your voice to break down barriers and make a difference for you and your peers: https://ncc.eastlancslearning.ac.uk/