PL Inspires Programme Boosts Confidence Among Young Girls
- Year 7 girls at Brockington College benefit from a weekly Leicester City in the Community Inspires group session
- The session aims to boost confidence, self-esteem and wellbeing
- Sessions started in response to concerns from parents
- The Inspires programme is funded by the Premier League Professional Footballers Association Fund
- The programme is delivered in secondary schools by Leicester City in the Community coaches
A group of Year 7 girls have improved their self-esteem and confidence this academic year thanks to Leicester City in the Community and the PL Inspires programme.
Brockington College, which is a PL Inspires partner school, sees LCitC Coach Kwesi Darkwa-Ampadu hold a weekly wellbeing session for a group of 16 Year 7 girls during his time at the school.
Kwesi’s sessions include different activities that encourage the girls to interact with different members of the group, aiming to push them out of their comfort zone.
Talking about the weekly session, Inspires Coach Darkwa-Ampadu discusses the reason why he started the group.
“We set up this session in response to some concerns that parents felt," he said. “We thought it would be good to set up some sessions where they can learn a bit about what it looks like to be confident.
“The majority of the girls have come out of their shells massively. Seeing them day-to-day around school, that’s how you can really tell that they are starting to build a level of confidence.”
The Head of Year 7 and Head of Pastoral were part of the initial discussion to start the group session, and are now looking to launch a similar boys-only session in the next academic year.
As she teaches Year 7 girls herself, Brockington College Head of Year 7, Anna Gaskell, reveals how much the group has helped develop the girls’ confidence in other subjects across the school.
“I teach some of them drama,” she said. “I’ve seen a confidence in their performance where I didn’t realise they were quite so capable to get this beautiful character work.
“I like to think of it as the transferable skills, to have belief in their ideas and that their creativity is as valid as someone else’s.
“Even just the belief in themselves for their aspirations for the future and not to be put off by the intimidation for a job interview.”
You can watch the girl-only session at Brockington College, HERE.
Find out more about the PL Inspires programme by contacting: John.Olaleye@lcfc.co.uk.