basketballscotland’s #PickUpBasketball has been selected as one of fifteen projects to benefit from £300,000 of investment from the Scottish Government’s Women and Girls fund. The fund aims to get more women and girls in Scotland taking part in sport and physical activity.
£13,500 from the fund will be invested into developing and delivering new female-only #PickUpBasketball sessions in partnership with ten clubs across the country.
The first #PickUpBasketball sessions were launched in October 2017 as basketballscotland aimed to provide a more causal and social-focussed way of participants to take up, or get back involved with, basketball. The sessions are open to all and welcome all ages and abilities.
Since their launch in 2017, the sessions have grown across Scotland and Amy Kirkhouse, basketballscotland’s Participation Manager, is hopeful that the funding received to begin the female-only programme will see even more women and girls get involved:
“Being able to invest in recreational, social basketball for women and girls, in partnership with clubs and local authorities, is an exciting opportunity to grow the female game in Scotland. We have seen success with our #PickUpBasketball programme but see a need for female-only opportunities to encourage more women and girls to attend in a safe and fun environment. Whether it is getting inactive females active, improving mental health, or creating new spaces for community, We’re confident that these sessions will have a real positive impact on the lives of women and girls in Scotland and can’t wait to get started.”
Across Scotland, beneficiaries of this funding include women and girls who have previously had little or no access to sport and physical activity for a wide variety of reasons. Some of the most marginalised in society have been targeted for support such as residents of Scotland’s most deprived communities, survivors of sexual abuse, and young women and girls with severe physical impairments.
Sports Minister, Joe FitzPatrick, together with sportscotland, launched the fund in October to celebrate Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week. Today he congratulated the projects who have been successful in their applications and said:
“There are so many benefits to making sport and physical activity a part of daily life. From improving physical and mental health, to developing skills and strengthening communities, the impact can be life-changing and that’s why we want as many people as possible to enjoy those benefits.
“It is encouraging to see that participation in sport and physical activity by women and girls in Scotland is increasing, but some still face barriers to taking part. The projects who will be supported through the £300,000 Women and Girls fund have shown great insight and innovation in understanding those barriers and taking steps to address them. I look forward to seeing the impact that they have.”
The Women and Girls fund has been set up to support the Scottish Government’s priorities of tackling inactivity and addressing inequality, contributing to the Active Scotland Outcomes framework.
