Our Goal is two years old today!

In a wonderful and exciting coincidence with the Euros kicking off, Our Goal CIC is two years old today!

In Summer 2023, I founded Our Goal CIC with a mission to support girls to become happier, healthier, stronger, and more confident. I set up this organisation because after being a totally footy-mad child, I completely dropped  out of sport as a teenager and wasn’t until later on that I really discovered the power of physical activity to positively transform lives, especially the lives of teenage girls.

Over the last two years we’ve delivered physical activity & mentoring programmes and community sport sessions to more than 150 girls across Greater Manchester. As part of that, we’ve trained and upskilled three local women to deliver our programmes from our partner UA92. We’ve provided work experience opportunities to animation and media students at UCEN and The Manchester College. We’ve been recognised as an organisation making significant positive social impact by The Shackleton Foundation and UnLtd. We’ve been awarded funding from Hatch Enterprise, Greater Manchester Police, The Asda Foundation, and Sported. We’ve been continually supported by our corporate partners Saica and The Duerr’s Foundation, and we’re continuing to deliver programmes in partnership with Trafford Council. But most importantly, we continue to have a meaningful impact on the physical health and mental wellbeing of teenage girls who are disengaging with physical activity in Greater Manchester through our Eva Programme.

Here's a snapshot of the impact of our work in the 2024/2025 academic year:

Moving More

• 93% of girls were more physically active by the end of their participation in the programme (Measured using the Sport England Active Lives survey).

• And it’s not just about movement – it’s about mindset too. Using self-reporting tools:

  • 95% of girls said the sessions improved their mood.

  • 74% said the sessions help them feel better about themselves.

  • 100% said they enjoy the mentoring sessions.

    
    

The girls said

"I like school because of the sessions."

"I feel more confident than I was before."

"I'm kind of shy to work out in front of a whole class, so this really helps me."

"It gets me to work my body more.""

It makes me excited to go in [to school]."

"I feel happier."

Mental Wellbeing improvements

Measuring Wellbeing using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) we found that:

• 71% of girls felt more cheerful after the programme.

• 65% felt more confident.

 The Ripple Effect

Outside of the school-based sessions, 30% of our girls joined a community sports club or gym during their time on our programme.

To me, these numbers are more than just statistics – they reflect the power of a safe space to be physically active. Thank you to everyone who’s supported us so far – schools, funders, families, and of course, the girls.

Ella

#OurGoalTurns2