These girls certainly can: Nottingham celebrates women’s successes in sport

Pictured: Mary Earps (England vs Austria). Image credit: Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images

Nottingham City Council has shown its support for the England Lionesses with the country’s largest flag on the Council House, and sends them congratulations on their historic win against Germany yesterday.

The England team’s incredible 2-1 victory against the eight-time European Champions at a sold-out Wembley is a huge achievement – and sets an example which will inspire girls and women today and for future generations.

Along with Notts-born goalie Mary Earps who played such a vital role throughout the Lionesses’ European Championship campaign including last night’s final, Nottingham/Nottinghamshire has a score of women taking part in the 2022 Commonwealth Games representing Team England, including Olympic silver medallist, Emily Campbell, and we wish them every success during the games.

Women’s sport is very much in the public eye at the minute and Nottingham has been looking to capture that energy. Working alongside a variety of partners such as Sport England, Nottingham Forest Community Trust and British Cycling, the council provides a comprehensive offer for women to take part in physical activity, in a way that suits them.

Working on projects such as This Girl Can since 2015, Active Nottingham, part of the City Council, has inspired thousands of women in Nottingham to take part in sports and physical activity. Whether it’s swimming at local leisure centres or women’s cricket sessions in partnership with The Renewal Trust and Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, these sessions open up opportunities for girls and women – and could produce the next Euros finalist or Commonwealth Games contender.

Active Nottingham recently brought home two wins at the UK Active Awards and are finalists in the upcoming Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) awards for the recent This Girl Can Nottingham project (2019-2022). The project will look to return at the end of 2022, celebrating women being active in a variety of different ways.

Nottingham City Council Leader, Cllr David Mellen, said: “What an incredible achievement for the Lionesses yesterday – not only for the historic win, but also the huge legacy this will leave for the future of women’s and girls’ sport. We’re hugely proud of them, as well as the local women who are competing on the world stage at the Commonwealth Games. We will continue to promote sporting opportunities for girls and women in Nottingham to help them to reach their potential.”

Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis, said: “It’s great to see the growth of women’s sport at a national level and what Nottingham is doing to support women at a more local level. To see the Lionesses win the European Championships at a sold-out Wembley would have been unthinkable five years ago and having eight Nottingham women represent England at the Commonwealth Games is a testament to the city’s sporting prowess.

“It’s great to see the effort Active Nottingham is making across the city to ensure that the energy is transferred from the screen to local provision. I’m delighted with the work taking place, and the national awards they have won and are currently finalists in. I look forward to supporting the ongoing effort made to increase the number of women taking part in physical activity.”

Notes to editors

To find out more about This Girl Can Nottingham: visit: https://www.nottsgirlscan.co.uk/

To find out more about getting into Women’s football, visit: https://www.nottinghamshirefa.com/ways-to-play/female

APSE is dedicated to promoting excellence in the delivery of frontline services to local communities around the UK). For more information on the APSE Awards, visit: https://apse.org.uk/index.cfm/apse/news/articles/2022/announcing-the-finalists-of-the-apse-service-awards-2022/

Nottingham/Nottinghamshire-born athletes:

1. Emily Campbell – Weightlifting: https://teamengland.org/team-england-athletes/emily-campbell
2. Freya Colbert – Swimming: https://teamengland.org/team-england-athletes/freya-colbert
3. Sabbie Heesh – Hockey: https://teamengland.org/team-england-athletes/sabbie-heesh
4. Anna Purchase – Track and Field (Hammer): https://teamengland.org/team-england-athletes/anna-purchase
5. Molly Renshaw – Swimming: https://teamengland.org/team-england-athletes/molly-renshaw
6. Sophie Hahn – Athletics: https://teamengland.org/team-england-athletes/sophie-hahn
7. Georgia Holt – Cycling: https://teamengland.org/team-england-athletes/georgia-holt
8. Samantha Harrison: Athletics: https://teamengland.org/team-england-athletes/samantha-harrison
9. Mary Earps – England football goalkeeper: https://www.englandfootball.com/womens-senior-team/squad/mary-earps

Active Nottingham operates six leisure centres across the city of Nottingham: Clifton Leisure Centre, Djanogly Community Leisure Centre, Harvey Hadden Sports Village, Ken Martin Leisure Centre, Southglade Leisure Centre and Victoria Leisure Centre.

Visit www.activenottingham.com for more information or to find your nearest centre