Looking back, looking forward, and Merry Christmas from Our Goal!
- ella williams
- Dec 19, 2025
- 3 min read
As we head into the Christmas break, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what's been an incredible year for Our Goal and to share what's coming in the new year.
Looking back at 2025
This year has been full of moments that remind me why I do what I do. It’s always such a privilege to get to spend time with the girls we work with and see how our work makes a positive difference to their confidence, their activity levels, and ultimately their healthy, happy lives.
Since my baby Pablo was born, I’ve handed over much of the programme delivery to Our Goal’s incredible team of mentors, who are making our sessions better than they’ve ever been. To celebrate that, I wanted to use this blog as an opportunity to share some of the feedback we’ve had from our schools, parents, and girls themselves, and then to look forward to what’s to come next year.
From our schools:
"The Our Goal initiative has been a truly transformative force in our school's physical education programme. Before its introduction, we observed a noticeable drop-off in participation and enthusiasm among some of our female students. By offering a diverse, inclusive, and non-judgmental range of activities, it successfully re-engaged these students."
Head of PE, Stretford High
"Ella's work had a significant impact on the cohort, improving engagement with school and the students all reported an improvement in either their confidence or self-worth. Over three-quarters of the cohort reported 'feeling better about school' at the end of the programme."
Headteacher, Manchester Enterprise Academy, Wythenshawe
"The Our Goal interventions have provided a safe and structured space for students to grow. We've seen noticeable improvements in confidence, communication, and resilience. Students who previously struggled with peer interactions are now engaging positively and building meaningful relationships. The difference these interventions have made is evident not only in the classroom but in the students' outlook and self-esteem."
Head of Year, Dixons Newall Green
From our parents:
"Ella has been amazing with my daughter so kind and patient. I have seen her confidence grow so much she never wanted to miss a single session."
"Ella has been amazing with the girls. She always found ways to motivate them and make them participate. My daughter loved working with her."
"Coach Ella is so inclusive, attentive, warm, supportive and encouraging to all the girls and clearly has a genuine passion and talent for coaching. Thank you Coach Ella for igniting the football spark in my daughter - long may it continue!"
From our girls:
"[The sessions] make me excited to go into school." — Lidia, Year 8
"[The sessions] are helping with my mental health." — Rosie, Year 7
"I like school because of Our Goal." — Nisha, Year 8
"I look forward to this session all week and when it's over I look forward to the next one." — Anum, Year 9
"I love this programme. It's fun and good for keeping healthy." — Lilly, Year 7
Looking forward to January
I'm excited to share that in January we’ve got exciting new programmes coming up! Thanks to some funding from Sport England, we're launching Strong Steps—a brand new community programme for girls aged 5–12. We'll be running sessions in Stretford and Manchester, offering football, multi-sport, and mentoring to girls in their local community, led by some of our existing and some new female coaches. You can now book your girls onto the sessions using these links:
Book your place:
We’ve actually got quite a few more exciting projects starting in the new year, but I think I’ll save those for a much needed January pick-me-up after the festive period.
Thank you for reading this and all of our blogs this year, and for supporting Our Goal and our mission to improve more girls’ lives through physical activity.
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a restful break.
Ella x
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