Hera Everyday Goddess- Girl on Fire Case Study

through Harbour Sport’s KiwiSport Fast Fund, <strong>Girl</strong> on Fire focuses on getting girls in
Funded
7 to 10 (ages 11 to 15) active in their preferred form of physical activity.
Years
school-based programme was created by HERA – <strong>Everyday</strong> <strong>Goddess</strong>® Ambassador, Naz
The
after seeing the drop off in girls’ participation in sport and active recreation first-hand
Spencer,
programme was initially delivered at Carmel College in terms 3 and 4 of 2019 and terms 1
The
2 of 2020. It was set to be delivered to two additional secondary schools in 2020;
and
girls were identified through a survey Naz created with 100 female students
Inactive
Results showed 49% of the respondents did not participate in sport and active
responding.
Case Study:
<strong>Girl</strong> on Fire
at her daughter’s school.
however, COVID-19 saw this postponed.
recreation, creating an opportunity for them to get physically active.

co-design approach was taken to develop this initiative. This saw a group of girls
A
together and asked what activities they wanted to do, as well as their preferred
brought
goals for the girls were that they can lead sessions themselves, and maintain
Naz’s
attitudes and behaviours.
healthy
on Fire also delivered a leadership programme (run informally during lunchtime
<strong>Girl</strong>
to empower girls to take ownership of their health and wellbeing, have
sessions)
in themselves and their ability, and lead others to experience a happy and
confidence
lifestyle.
healthy
facilitated sessions for others, were responsible for designing and distributing
<strong>Girl</strong>s
promoting the programme, and the older girls within the group acted as
posters
for the younger girls coming through. The leaders also sought feedback from all
mentors
participants.
other
her initial survey, Naz identified several barriers to girls’ participation in sport and
From
recreation.
active
busy 69%
Too
school doesn’t offer sport or physical activities I’m interested in 40%
My
don’t have anyone to do it with 26%
I
not confident 23%.
I’m
identified they wanted to participate in more recreational and non-competitive
<strong>Girl</strong>s
such as fun games, cardio fitness, dance, circuit training, and boxing. Naz also
activities
partnerships with organisations such as North Harbour Rugby to deliver
developed
to girls, building their confidence and capability to try new activities.
sessions
location and time to be physically active.
Initiative Goals and/or Objectives
Key Performance Indicators for <strong>Girl</strong> on Fire included:
inactive girls become active in whatever form of physical activity they choose
1. Help
them with tools and support to empower them to be leaders of self and
2. Provide
others; and
inactive girls’ physical literacy – capability and confidence to participate in
3. Improve
physical activity outside of the programme.
Successes, Challenges and/or Barriers

were held during school lunchtimes and were run outside on the field and in
Sessions
school’s gymnasium.
the
success of the programme is based on the significant increase of girls attending <strong>Girl</strong>
The
Fire – from 10 girls in term 3 (2019) to 152 girls in term 2 (2020).
on
with girls before the initiative ensured that their needs would be prioritised
Consultation
the design and delivery of <strong>Girl</strong> on Fire.
in
example, including them in discussions about what activities they wanted to play
For
when was the right time for them to participate (as girls did not want to get sweaty),
and
designed and developed the initiative to be engaging and retain girls throughout the
Naz
term.
school
busy” – sessions were run during school lunchtimes
“Too
not interested” – sports and activities run were suggested by girls as activities
“I’m
liked and/or wanted to try
they
one to do it with” – girls were encouraged to bring their friends and invite others
“No
the school term
throughout
not confident” – activities offered were non-competitive in nature, and Naz
“I’m
decided to survey the participants before, during and post-initiative. This helped
Naz
<strong>Girl</strong> on Fire met girls’ needs, and improvements could be made where
ensure
also sought feedback from the girls after each session:
She
in every Monday and Wednesday to see the girls and teach them new things
“Coming
the end of every session, we sit down and go through what they like and didn’t like
“At
what we can do next time to make it more enjoyable. The positive feedback has
and
Solution
<strong>Girl</strong> on Fire addressed all the main barriers identified by girls in the first survey:
provided a fun and safe environment for girls to give activities a go.
Impact
appropriate.
makes it all worthwhile,” says Naz.
been overwhelming!”

intended outcomes for the initiative were achieved, with girls feeling more
The
confident, and capable of participating in sport and active recreation
encouraged,
of girls said they have been encouraged to do more activities and/or join a
52%
team or club
sports
of girls said they are willing to lead themselves, friends and/or a younger age
73%
through a physical activity session.
group
more information on how to implement a participant-led approach specific to young
For
and girls, see our resources here.
women
Feedback from participants detail how impactful the initiative has been:
“I liked that we got to choose some of the activities, and it was open to all. Everyone
participated in a game even if someone else chose it.”
“I really like how it encouraged us to play games and get fit at lunchtimes. It made me
want to play more sports and get fitter. I thought that it was a great way to make
friends and get fit at the same time! I feel like it benefited me, and I love being a part
of it.”
“I liked that my friends and I got to hang out with each other and play games outside. I
also liked that we got to interact with other year groups, because we don't get to do
that very often.”
moving forward.