Postcode lotteries are holding girls back from taking part in sport in some parts of the UK, Sky research reveals football news

The gap in sports participation between girls and boys is significantly wider in some parts of the UK, new research commissioned by Sky has revealed.

The Public First study, commissioned by Sky, maps the gap in sports participation between girls and boys across 650 UK parliamentary constituencies.

While girls aged 11-18 play an average of 84 minutes less sport per week than boys nationally, the gap ranges from almost zero in Westmoreland and Lonsdale to more than two-and-a-half hours per week in Birmingham Perry Bar.

Research identifies clear regional hotspots. Constituencies in the West Midlands and North East have the widest average participation gaps, with the smallest in the South East, North West and Scotland.

Public First’s analysis found that whether a youth lived in an urban or rural area was the strongest predictor of change in the participation gap.

Girls living in urban areas miss about 100 more minutes of sport per week than boys, while the gap narrows to about 75 minutes in rural communities. Research suggests that this reflects a combination of safety concerns, social barriers, greater reliance on organized sports and less access to facilities.

Access to sports facilities emerged as another major factor. Where there is the lowest level of sport provision, the participation gap is 46 per cent higher than in places with the highest provision, reflecting girls’ greater reliance on clubs, teams and organized opportunities to be active. The analysis also found that the participation gap is wider among girls from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Jonathan Leach, Sky’s chief sports officer, said: “Every girl should have the opportunity to experience confidence, friendship and a sense of belonging through sport. Yet too many girls are still missing out, and this research shows that the barriers they face are not the same everywhere.

“Closing the gap means addressing disparities in access and investment, starting in publicly funded settings where opportunities should be equal for every girl. Now is the time to turn evidence into action and create lasting change for girls across the country.”

The findings build on Sky’s Game Changing report published last year, which found that girls miss out on 280 million game hours every year compared to boys.

Taken together, the data show that while national action is essential, targeted action in communities where girls face the greatest barriers will be critical to closing the gap. As the Game Changing report recommends, an important first step is to make equal access to sport a legal requirement in publicly funded settings, ensuring that girls and boys have equal opportunities to participate where public money is invested.

Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock said: “Every girl deserves the chance to experience the benefits that sport can offer, but many are still missing out. That’s why the Government is investing £400 million to improve facilities across the country with a focus on under-represented groups, including women and girls, and more than £1 billion to deliver sport to schools.

“We know girls face many barriers – from fear of judgment to safety concerns – and our Girls Can campaign is tackling them with Sport England. The campaign inspires women and girls to take part, and we have a range of programs dedicated to removing practical barriers. We’re committed to a decade of change for girls and girls’ sport.”

Closing the participation gap helps everyone win. Public First estimates that empowering girls through sport could save £570m in annual productivity gains and £73m a year to the NHS, with new research showing that just leveling the playing field in the North of England could unlock up to £124m in benefits.

Alongside the research, Sky launched an interactive online tool to help politicians and policy makers better understand the causes of participation gaps in their constituencies and realize the economic and health benefits of closing the gap at the local level.

New constituency-level research strengthens the case for the recommendations set out in the game-changing report.

In addition to equal access to sport in public settings, recommendations include ensuring that girls participate in a minimum of two hours of PE per week at school; a national day to celebrate girls and women in sport; Helping girls feel confident in their kit through up-to-date guidance; and increasing the visibility of women’s sports production through targeted tax relief.