New campaign to get women and girls more active backed by Otley's female sporting stars
This Otley Girl Can hopes to encourage women of all ages to get active and to showcase what activities are available to them in the area
It's hoped a new campaign headed by female athletes from Otley will get more women and girls involved in sport.
The #thisotleygirlcan campaign is aimed at encouraging as many girls and women as possible to partake in sport and to give them role models to look up to.
It is backed by a number of Otley’s finest athletes, including Team GB tag rugby player Anita Barton and local teams such as Otliensians Rounders, Otley Netball Club and Weston Lane Juniors.
They're all featured in a campaign video alongside informal running groups such as Run Mums, coldwater swimmers taking a dip in the River Wharfe and businesses including Pilates in Motion and Zetsurin Karate.
Anita Barton said she couldn't see any local representation of women in sport showcased so wanted to get involved.
She said: "When I didn't see any representation of women I just thought 'is this the kind of message we want to send to the little girls and woman in Otley that there is no women taking part in sport here.'
"For a young girl who perhaps isn't that active or involved in sport it can be really daunting to get out there and the competitive nature can be off-putting so just pushing the enjoyment of sport and making girls realise it can just be for fun is really important to me.
"Some women might think 'I don't want to get sweaty and I don't want to mess up my hair' because they think that's how a feminine person should be but the campaign is a really important step to show real women and that they come in all different shapes, sizes, ages and races.
"But it isn't just about sport. It can increase leadership and resilience and it is an important way for defying gender stereotypes through sport.
Otley Town Mayor Sylvia Thomson, said: “According to Women In Sport, there are 700,000 more inactive women than men in the country and nearly 60% of girls are not reaching the recommended exercise guidelines – and these figures may be further challenged thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. As such, it is vital to encourage as many girls and women as possible to take part in sport and fitness.
“One of my chosen charities for my tenure as mayor is Weston Lane Juniors and I am proud to say the club now encourages more girls to join, while also having top-class female coaches and role models such as under-11s coach Olivia Boardman.”
Leeds City Councillor for Otley and Yeadon Colin Campbell funded the video via a Members Improvements in the Community and the Environment (known as MICE monies) grant.
He said: “I am proud to back this fantastic campaign aimed at getting more Otley girls and women moving whether that be on an individual basis, as part of an informal group or as part of an organised team. Otley has a wide range of female participation sports and activities on offer and the video highlights some of the fabulous options available.”
Organisations, individuals and teams wishing to list their services on the webpage should email admin@otleytowncouncil.go.uk with an image, a short paragraph on what they do and contact details.
Female participants in the town are also encouraged to use the hashtag #thisotleygirlcan on their social media profiles to help spread the word on female sport in Otley.