The Herald ran a story on Sunday 7th February celebrating the success of one of the dance clubs started through the Youth Sport Trust and sportscotland Fit for Girls programme. The Bollywood Dance Club at Woodfarm High School, East Renfrewshire, was brought to life in the Herald by journalist Rebecca McQuillan who came along to get a lesson herself in this fun and energetic sport.
The Fit for Girls programme emphasises the importance of consulting girls aged 11-16, who have been disengaged from physical activity, working with them to establish the reasons behind this and developing strategies to enhance future participation. The principles of respect, empowerment and participation are inherent in the programme. Girls who are currently inactive or have low levels of participation are encouraged to express their thoughts, feelings and ideas in a real and honest way.
The class of 40 to 50 girls aged 13 to 16 at Woodfarm, is made up of girls from ethnic minority backgrounds, most of whom had no interest at all in extra curricular activities, and not much interest in PE, until the Bollywood dance club started three years ago.
As the article states: " ... the girls themselves develop the activity programmes, and it incorporates non-traditional forms of exercise. The Bollywood class came out of a consultation with these girls,” says Ms Livingston. Partnership Manager at sportscotland. “It’s building confidence, self-esteem and the younger girls are interacting with positive role models.”
Read the article in full at: http://www.heraldscotland.com/life-style/real-lives/hooray-for-bollywood-1.1004471
For more information see the Fit for Girls page on this site.