A MOVEMENT for CHANGE

Durham County Council has successfully increased women’s participation in sport and physical activity through a highly targeted campaign. SportsNation finds out more about the initiative

Durham County Council has successfully engaged around 900 women in sport and physical activity in a month-long campaign helping to boost women’s health, wellbeing and community connection. The “She Thrives” campaign combined local storytelling, targeted programming and partnership working to raise awareness of opportunities for women to get active across the county. In addition to increasing participation, the campaign increased visibility for the council’s leisure services and the wider network of local activity providers, resulting in new provision.

According to Karen Allison, the council’s cabinet member for leisure – and one of the people driving the initiative – a key strength of the month-long campaign was the depth of partnership working with local grassroots clubs and national governing bodies of sport, which helped deliver a diverse and high-quality programme. “The She Thrives campaign has shown what’s possible when we work together to create welcoming, visible and meaningful opportunities for women to be active,” she said.

“By strengthening our partnerships with local clubs and national governing bodies, we’ve been able to expand our offer, reach new audiences and build confidence across our communities. Ultimately, this is about creating lasting change and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”

Ultimately, this is about creating lasting change and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive

Driving participation

Building on an approach last year which focused on social media storytelling, the council delivered this year’s campaign by working more strategically with partners and expanding the programme of activities to reach more women, offer greater variety and create clearer pathways into ongoing participation.

A wide range of taster sessions were delivered through local clubs allowing women to try new activities in welcoming and supportive environments, while also creating clear and sustainable pathways into ongoing community provision. These sessions provided an important first step for many participants and strengthened connections between leisure services and local sport.

A wide range of taster sessions were delivered through local clubs allowing women to try new activities in welcoming and supportive environments

Golf taster sessions at Ramside Golf Club, rowing tasters with Lambton Rowing Club and table tennis sessions with Topspin Table Tennis Club were among the clubs participating, with several clubs expressing interest in delivering similar sessions in the future.

The campaign showcased emerging activities such as Roller Derby, which attracted strong engagement from women trying the activity for the first time.

Several of the council’s leisure centres offered women-only sessions, including bowling, spinning and Boogie Bounce. There was also a virtual fitness challenge, delivered in partnership with gym equipment giant Technogym and the offer of free, seven-day gym passes.

A Back to Netball week created opportunities for the council’s staff to re-engage with sport in a relaxed environment. The week culminated in a staff netball tournament involving approximately 100 staff in friendly competition across departments. Following its success, a new lunchtime netball session is set to launch at Meadowfield Leisure Centre for council staff in partnership with England Netball to support wellbeing and sustained participation.

Another example of new sustained provision developed as a result of the campaign is a new recreational football offer for women delivered in partnership with Brandon Football Club.

Creating lasting change

The campaign placed strong emphasis on creating inclusive and welcoming environments that better support the needs of women and girls. A Club Durham networking event brought together women from across grassroots sport to address real-life barriers to participation, while encouraging collaboration and shared learning across clubs. Delivered in partnership with JP Physio Durham and England Netball through the NetballHER programme, the session included discussions around female health, including menopause, menstrual health, relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) and pelvic floor health.

Following positive feedback, Club Durham plans to host another network event later in the year, inviting men to join the discussion and support the development of women and girls in sport.

The campaign also delivered a practical legacy in the form of Court Short Kits. These emergency sanitary product kits were distributed to local sports clubs, with discussions underway to explore similar provision across leisure centres to remove a simple but significant barrier that can affect confidence and participation.

Our she thrives campaign shows that when opportunities are visible, welcoming and relevant, women will take part

Telling local stories

Timed to coincide with International Women’s Day in March, a central feature of the she thrives campaign was the focus on local storytelling. Real women from across County Durham were at the heart of the campaign, sharing their experiences and demonstrating the positive impact of movement on confidence, health, wellbeing and everyday life.

This has been brought to life through the she thrives Photography Exhibition. Captured by local photographer Lee Dobson, the exhibition celebrates women of all backgrounds being active in their communities and has been displayed at venues including Bishop Auckland Town Hall and Freeman’s Quay Leisure Centre.

This storytelling, combined with strong social media engagement, extended the reach of the campaign well beyond formal sessions and helped build a stronger local identity around women’s participation.

Allison added: “Our she thrives campaign shows that when opportunities are visible, welcoming and relevant, women will take part. The scale of engagement we’ve seen gives us a strong foundation to build on, and we’re using these insights to shape future programmes that continue to grow participation and deliver lasting impact.”