ACTIVE Essex, the county’s sport and physical activity partnership, is backing the national This Girl Can campaign with a call for new ambassadors for 2017.

Figures reveal that less women than men are involved in regular physical activity or sport and the successful This Girl Can campaign aims to encourage and support more women to take up regular exercise and become more active.

Throughout 2016, This Girl Can ambassadors in Essex encouraged women to take part in a wide range of sports and fitness classes from yoga and dance to cycling and triathlon. As a result, Active Essex supported 24 women’s projects involving over 600 participants aged 16+ to be more physically active and try something new.

One such ambassador is Harlow and Essex councillor, Karen Clempner. If you have a minute, have a read of Karen’s blog on running all the park runs in Essex.

Karen is a real inspiration, a modest but dedicated park runner and such as community champion. She also makes great cakes!

http://www.run4cake.com/diary-of-an-essex-parkrun-tourist/

The role of This Girl Can ambassadors is to help promote women and girls sport and activity sessions via social media, signpost women to the This Girl Can Facebook page and Active Essex website and most importantly, inspire other women in Essex to be more active.

Active Essex is also offering This Girl Can ambassadors the opportunity to apply for a £500 grant through the This Girl Can Essex Community Fund. The grant can be used to set up a new project or expand an existing one with the ultimate goal to encourage more women to get physically active in some way. Project must be with the Greater Essex region and increase sporting participation in women aged 16+.

Azeem Akhtar, chair, Active Essex commented; “We are delighted by the success of our This Girl Can Essex campaigns so far and our aim is to make it even better this year. By working with and supporting our This Girl Can ambassadors we hope to encourage more women to get active across the county to get fitter, healthier and happier.”

For more information about Active Essex and the This Girl Campaign, visit www.activeessex.org