Barbara is supporting a new sport and fitness project called UsGirls. The project aims to get 30,000 young women and girls aged between 16-25 in England’s most disadvantaged communities more active through sports and physical activity.  The scheme will encourage over 1,000 young women to become volunteers and also aims to help more than 1,250 girls and young women gain qualifications.

Barbara is supporting the initiative both in Parliament and locally. Barbara wants to see progress on encouraging girls and young women in Salford to get involved in a sport or physical activity.  Currently the number of young women taking part in sport or fitness activities is very low in Salford and girls and young women are less likely to take part in a sport of physical exercise than boys and young men. 

To help raise funds and awareness for the UsGirls programme, the first-ever UsGirls Women’s Sporting Calendar featuring women participating in different sports has been launched in Parliament. Barbara joined women team captains and leading sportswomen from a variety of sports for a photo outside Parliament to launch the new calendar.

Barbara said:

“I am very keen to see girls and young women in cities like Salford and nationally taking up more sport and fitness activities.  There are many barriers to this and the costs involved are becoming a stronger reason for not taking up sport or fitness activities.

“It is worth overcoming the barriers so that more girls and young women take up sport or a fitness activity in the run-up to Olympics in 2012. The great sportswomen supporting the UsGirls project are an inspiration to girls and young women across the country.”

From bottom left: Beth Storry – GB Hockey, Alison Waters – England Squash & Racketball, Katie-Jemima Yeats-Brown – GB judo, Nicolla Weekes – England Rounders Captain Tamsin Greenway – England Netball, Sarah McKay, GB Basketball, Sarah Winckless – Chair of the British Olympic Athletes’ commission, Charlotte Edwards – England Cricket Captain, Jennie Price- CEO Sport England, Barbara Keeley MP, Maggie Alphonsi – England Rugby, Marie Lucas – GB Dragon boating and Kylie Grimes – GB Wheelchair Rugby.