The Forward Foundation has vast experience specialising and focusing on girl’s involvement in sport and recreation since 2012. Through their insights and research, they have seen a significant decline in girls participating in team sport since 2017.

These insights also show that there are significantly fewer girls participating in sport in lower decile schools compared to higher decile schools. Through the women and girls in sport and recreation strategy, the Forward Foundation found that alternatives to traditional team sports were needed to support females and help them to become more physically active.

From research they found that females wanted to participate more in sport and recreation but had different motivations for participating, these being to socialise, have fun and to improve their physical wellbeing. From this, the Forward Foundation came up with their Not-So-Sports Club to ensure young women and girls received quality sport experience, irrespective of the level at which they were involved, along with providing a range of sport and recreation activities to try out.

Through funding from Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa, the Forward Foundation has been able to work with schools to create their Not-So-Sports Club. So far, this programme has had over 40 young women and girls registered, with all the girls gelling well together and becoming more confident each week.

Feedback has been positive, with one parent saying, “It’s just what my daughter has needed. She enjoys physical activity, but not traditional team sports, so this is perfect. She has made friends both from her school and another school. She’s enjoyed every activity and looks forward to Wednesdays all week!”

The Not-So-Sports Club has had the opportunity to work with girls from Hilmorton High School, Hornby High School and Papanui High School along with one participant from Haeata Community College.

Activities provided to these participants have included bush walks, tailored sessions with Canterbury Basketball and Canterbury Cricket, The Sport Canterbury Top Team Challenge and paddle boarding. Horse riding was a more recent trip which was a real highlight for all the girls.

Thanks to funding provided by Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa the girls are able to be picked up from their schools and transported to the selected activity for the week. Due to this, a significant barrier these girls faced around their participation in sport and recreation has been removed.

Meaningful participation is a key outcome the Forward Foundation wish to achieve through their Not-So-Sports Club. Funding provided allowed for the right equipment to be available, to ensure girls experience a positive opportunity to be active. This has been able to take place in an environment that meets the needs of these participants which the Forward Foundation believes is paramount in the success of this programme.

Due to the success of the Not-So-Sports Club the Forward Foundation are now looking to expand the programme further. After meeting with Mitchell Rhodes from the Halberg Foundation they identified several areas where their organisations could work together to get more girls with disabilities involved in these Not-So-Sports Club programmes.

Thanks to funding provided by Tū Manawa the Not-So-Sports Club programme has been able to move from strength to strength. The Forward Foundation has been thrilled with the initiative's success and are hoping to create a sustainable interest in physical activity and wellbeing for these girls, which will lead to lifelong participation in sport and recreation.

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