Campaign aims to inspire more women into volunteering and coaching within sport and physical activity in Greater Manchester

Women have been sharing their stories of how they overcame their own barriers to get involved in volunteering

A campaign celebrating the women which make sport and physical activity happen has arrived in Greater Manchester.

GreaterSport’s Pass On Your Passion campaign has been across the north of England for the last three months. Starting in Yorkshire in September, the campaign reached its final week here in Greater Manchester last week (9-16 December).

Women have been sharing their stories of how they overcame their own barriers to get involved in volunteering. The hope is that by sharing how they have overcome barriers, others will be inspired to overcome their own barriers and start their own journey into volunteering, so that they too can reap the benefits of volunteering, such as improved mental wellbeing, confidence and building new friendships.

In England, volunteering rates within physical activity and sport are decreasing, with just 13.7% of people aged 16+ volunteering twice in the last year, a trend which is mirrored in Greater Manchester. There is also a marked gender gap, with just 11.1% of women volunteering, compared to 16.3% of men, part of the reason why the campaign was created by GreaterSport in 2016.

If you want to volunteer in sport or physical activity in your community, visit the GreaterSport website here, fill in the contact form and they will help find you volunteering opportunities local to you.

For further information about the Pass On Your Passion campaign in Greater Manchester, visit:

• www.greatersport.co.uk/PassOnYourPassion