Wandsworth Council has published its first-ever formal action plan [pdf] focused entirely on improving access to sport and physical activity for women and girls—a move that marks a major shift in approach.
Instead of assuming open access is enough, the council is now targeting the real barriers that stop women and girls from getting active, from cost and confidence to safety and representation.
The plan is part of the borough’s wider Wandsworth Moves Together programme and comes with a significant investment: £1 million a year is already being committed to community-led sport and activity, with a dedicated fund launching this autumn to support women and girls-focused programmes.
Gender gap
At its core, the plan is about closing the gender gap in sport. Figures show that just 31.6% of women in Wandsworth play sport weekly, compared to 41.7% of men. The gap may seem small, but it reflects deeper structural inequalities in health, confidence, and access to opportunity.
The new plan lays out a growing list of activities already happening or starting soon. Girls aged 9 to 15 can join the Big Sister Project, which offers free or discounted gym and swim memberships at all four of Wandsworth’s main leisure centres. It includes mentoring and wellbeing support, and helps tackle some of the stigma around sport during puberty.
Teen girls are also being invited to the Girls Active Festival, returning this year to offer non-traditional sports and workshops aimed at boosting confidence and enjoyment. In Furzedown, an afterschool programme called Gurlzedown provides a safe, welcoming space for young girls to be active on their own terms, while mother-and-daughter classes are now running in Roehampton.
There’s support for women at every stage of life. The Move Through Menopause course at Putney Leisure Centre is helping women stay active through hormonal changes, and women’s-only circuit and badminton sessions are now being offered weekly across council-run leisure centres.
More coaches and leaders
The strategy also backs more women to get involved as coaches, leaders, and volunteers—through training bursaries and a new Female Coaches Network. Local clubs, community groups, and charities are already helping deliver these programmes.
Anyone interested in taking part—whether to get active themselves, support others, or start something new in their neighbourhood—can visit the council’s website or speak to their local leisure centre for more information. There will also be public events and funding opportunities launching in the autumn to support new ideas and expand existing sessions.
Wandsworth Council says this is just the start. The new action plan is both a commitment and a call to action—designed not just to increase numbers, but to make sport and activity a space where every woman and girl feels welcome, supported, and seen.
