Girls in Golden Plains will have more opportunities to get active thanks to Council’s new Move your way program.
Golden Plains Shire Council secured a $9,750 grant from VicHealth’s Reimaging Health Grants program to fund the co-designing and delivery of a movement program for local teenage girls aged 12 to 15 years.
The Move your way program will provide participants in Years 7 to 9 with opportunities to participate in non-structured, non-competitive physical activity. It will address the barriers girls in this age group may experience when looking to get active, including fear of judgement, lack of confidence and absence of alternatives to structured, competitive-based sport.
Through in-depth consultations, the program will be co-designed and driven by participating girls, and tailored to the time, type and styles of activities they want to try. The program will feature regular feedback from participants to ensure it is meeting their needs and ideas. Activities will cater to all skill levels, offer flexibility in participation, and build a supportive, welcoming and inclusive environment to ensure accessibility.
Mayor Cr Helena Kirby says Council welcomed the grant and is excited to offer this program to combat physical inaction in local teenagers.
“Evidence shows that 92% of Australian teens do not meet the Physical Activity Guidelines of 60 minutes a day, and females are disproportionally represented in this data. This is often attributed to lack of confidence and fear of judgement among others, and Move your way is all about trying to remove some of these barriers.
“Move your way will encourage girls Years 7 to 9 to try innovative activities such as pom-dance, RnB-Zumba and hip-hop yoga, all while supporting them to build confidence, social connections, learn new skills and increase their physical activity levels. They will also have an active role in designing the whole program, to tailor it to their needs and expectations.
“Council is looking forward to running this great initiative thanks to grant funding from VicHealth.”
The Move your way program will run in Bannockburn in Term 1 2022.