Tennis player and Olympic silver medallist Laura Robson visited Southfields Academy this week to open a Girls Active Day organised by Enable Leisure & Culture and the Wimbledon Foundation, the charity of the All England Club and The Championships.
Enable Leisure & Culture were awarded a grant of £10,000 by the Wimbledon Foundation in 2016 to improve fitness levels of female pupils at Wandsworth secondary schools. The project aimed to encourage female pupils who do not participate in sport and physical activity to try new activities such as yoga, rugby and Pilates.
Pupils from Ashcroft Academy, Burntwood Academy, Southfields Academy, St Cecilia’s School attended the Girls Active Day, a one day event which brought girls from the four schools together to celebrate their participation through different sports sessions including climbing, trampolining and Zumba.
Laura Robson opened the event and joined the girls in a strength and conditioning warm up delivered by a personal trainer from Bounce Gym. Laura also brought along the silver medal she won with Andy Murray in the Mixed Doubles at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Laura, who lives locally, said “I am delighted to be able to support the Girls Active project and encourage more young people to take up sport and to stay active. It’s great that the girls have access to different activities.”
Dereck Brown from Enable Leisure & Culture said “Over the course of the year 200 girls have tried a new activity and begun regularly attending fitness sessions leading to a real improvement in their fitness levels. Some girls have shown so much promise in the rugby sessions they have been invited to join Battersea Ironsides’ teams.”
Helen Parker, Wimbledon Foundation & Community Manager said, “Our Get Set, Get Active Fund is about offering people of all ages and backgrounds in our community the opportunity to take part in some form of physical activity. It’s been fantastic to see so many girls trying something new and reaping the benefits exercise can bring.”
In June 2017, the Wimbledon Foundation awarded its second round of Get Set, Get Active Fund grants totalling £47,000 to 26 local groups and clubs active in the boroughs of Merton and Wandsworth helping cover items such as equipment and kits, coaching fees and venue hire.
