More than 1.3 million teenage girls disengage from sport by the age of 18 - how National Lottery funding is making a difference

We've just witnessed a game-changing summer of sport, with the Lionesses winning the Euros and the Red Roses securing their Women’s Rugby World Cup win.

Women’s activity levels are on the rise too - since 2015, there are 1 million more active women, and inactivity fell by 0.7% to 26.3% between 2023 and 2024, according to Sport England’s latest Active Lives survey. This momentum builds on £6 billion of National Lottery funding to grassroot sport, empowering more women and girls to get involved in the game.

But the work doesn’t stop there. With many women and girls still disengaged from sport, we spoke to three organisations about the role they’re playing in breaking down these barriers.

Level the playing field

Despite the progress that has been made in women’s sport, too many women and girls are still being held back.

Research by Women in Sport, a charity dedicated to transforming sport for the benefit of every woman and girl in the UK, found that more than one million teenage girls (43%) who once considered themselves ‘sporty’ disengage from sport following primary school. Even before they begin school, girls are already at a disadvantage, with lower levels of physical literacy than boys.

Research from This Girl Can shows many women continue to feel excluded from physical activity, particularly those on lower incomes or from underrepresented groups. Almost 2 in 5 women on lower incomes (38%) say they’ve felt left out and 1 in 6 (17%) said the experience was so negative they never went back or lost the confidence to try again.

These barriers stem from cultural stereotypes, low confidence, time pressures, cost and a lack of inclusive spaces.

What’s being done to help

Women in Sport is an insight-led organisation that researches women and girls and the cultures and environments around them, to highlight injustices, campaign for change and pilot solutions. By putting lived experience at the centre, the project turns insight into action to create lasting impact.

Backed by funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, Women in Sport ran the Daughters and Dads Active and Empowered (DADs) programme, an 11-week programme that helped primary school girls and their dads get active, building confidence and wellbeing, while challenging stereotypes around sport.

“Sport is a microcosm of society. By breaking down barriers in sport, we can break them down for women and girls everywhere.” - Harinie Wijeweera, Head of People, Finance & Operations, Women in Sport

More than 400 participants took part in DADs, with around 35% from diverse backgrounds and at least 50% living in the most deprived areas.

Lived experience is central to Women in Sport’s work, says Harnie: “We can’t expose or understand a problem without hearing from those who live it. Talking directly to communities helps us understand their environment and culture.”

Creating inclusive spaces

This Girl Can has been breaking down barriers and making activity more welcoming for women in England for a decade, having celebrated its 10-year anniversary earlier in 2025.

The campaign has just launched a new phase, We Like the Way You Move, which celebrates women moving in whatever way works for them, from running and dancing to walking or team sports. The focus is on women who aren’t active yet but want to get started.

One of the campaigns key approaches is to encourage women to start small. Just 10 minutes of movement, whether it’s marching on the spot or dancing like no one is watching, can boost energy, lift the mood, improve sleep and build confidence, which makes it easier to keep going.

Leading change

Black Girls Do Run UK (BGDRUK) is grassroot running club based in London, dedicated to inspiring Black women to start running.

The club was founded in 2019 by Tasha Thompson and grew during lockdown and the Black Lives Matter movement and has since become a registered charity.

“Activity levels among many ethnic minority groups are low, and inactivity leads to poorer health. We’re trying to make a small difference to a big problem.” - Tasha Thompson, Founder, Black Girls Do Run UK

The impact has been significant. BGDRUK now holds multiple weekly sessions and many women who began with 5k and progressed to 10K and half marathons. Some members have even taken on aquathlons, triathlons and Swim Serpentine.

Made possible by players

National Lottery funding is opening access to sport and giving more women and girls the freedom to get active on their own terms.

With National Lottery funding, Women in Sport were able to deliver the Daughters and Dads programme and show how targeted interventions can build confidence and encourage long-term participation.

“Support from The National Lottery Community Fund has been crucial for us as a small organisation. It’s enabled us to show what can be done differently and to campaign for wider change.” - Harinie Wijeweera, Women in Sport

By turning insight into action, pilots like Daughters and Dads provided evidence of what works. This evidence went on to influence the Department for Education’s curriculum review and was shared at parliamentary roundtables on school PE.

It starts at grassroots

For Black Girls Do Run UK, funding from National Lottery distributor Sport England helps reduce barriers and empowers more Black women to get involved. The group secures discounts or free places at events, sets aside funds for entry fees and kit, and runs a kit library with head torches, vests, poles and hiking packs that members can borrow.

Going forward, BGDRUK hopes to expand beyond London, starting with a social run in Essex and has ambitions to build a presence in schools to inspire the next generation.

Thanks to National Lottery players who raise £30 million every week for good causes in the UK, vital investment is reaching grassroots sport, where the journey begins for many women and girls. This support creates opportunities and safe spaces to get active and helps set the stage for long-term participation.

“Grassroots funding is crucial. It’s where girls begin, and it’s where they can build the confidence and skills to progress, even to one day becoming future Red Roses.” - Kate Peers, Head of Campaigns (Strategic Lead), Sport England

There’s more work to do

Looking ahead, Sport England wants to reach even more women and girls so they too can feel the health and wellbeing benefits of being active.

“Investment in women’s and girls’ sport is vital. Participation may be at record highs, but there is still a long way to go. With continued support, we can make sure all women and girls have the chance to move in ways that work for them – and to reap the rewards for years to come.” - Kate Peers, Head of Campaigns (Strategic Lead), Sport England

After a landmark summer of sport, and with more than £6 billion invested in grassroots sport, we now have the momentum to to give more women and girls the chance to get in the game.

And it’s all made possible thanks to National Lottery players.