Parks need to be a place where older girls, and women, feel ‘welcome’ and are empowered them to be themselves.
The ‘Make Space’ for Girls York project focuses on reducing the drop off of park use as girls enter their teenage years. Parks have numerous benefits for physical and mental health and it’s so important that girls’, and women, are able to access and make the most of the opportunities parks offer.
Be part of the ‘Make Space’ York Festival 2025
The call out for events to be involved in the June festival has been launched!
-Run an event or activity
-Run a stall
-Be part of the project team and help make things happen!
Events – Sports & exercise, the ‘arts’, nature based or basically any event/activity that could work in a park – I’d love to hear from you!
In June 2023 the first ever ‘Make Space’ (for Girls) programme of events and activities ran in Rowntree Park and the festival ran again in 2024, including events being hosted in Homestead Park too! The focus is on getting teen girls into the park and trying new things, meeting new people, and feeling empowered in the public space – trying to address the drop off of park use as girls enter their teenage years. Each year around 350 girls are involved with amazing feedback. The project won a national award from Green Flag for the ‘Best initiative in the UK to increase use of parks by women and girls’ in 2023.
I’m looking for facilitators to run events in June 2025. This year the festival will focus on two weekends and two parks. Each weekend will be packed full of events and activities to encourage lots of girls into the parks and create a real buzz! Provisional dates are:
14th & 15th of June (and maybe the evening of 13th) – Rowntree Park
21st & 22nd June – Homestead Park
In addition to events, there is the potential for info/awareness stalls (and/or with drop in activities) and food stalls.
You can find out more about the Make Space Festival 2025 and sign up to express interest in being involved (running an event) below. Please read the info before signing up!
Why is this project needed?
As it stands, as girls enter their teen years, their use of parks decreases. At a time when they should be gaining more independence, many state they don’t feel ‘welcome’ in parks and there is nothing for them. Facilities councils build for ‘older children’ tend to be BMX tracks, Skateparks, Multi Use Games Areas and Basketball courts – areas that end up dominated by boys. As a result of community engagement the idea of a special programme of events for teen girls was piloted in Rowntree Park to great success in 2023 and ran again in 2024 including additional parks.
You can find out more about the project in general using the links below:
Overview of the Make Space – Older Girls and Rowntree Park project
The Make Space for Girls Festival 2024 blog
