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’ in Rowntree Park 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.
Over the last couple of year our project has involved a range of engagement with local girls, and as a result our projects main focus is on:
Raising awareness of the need to design/improve parks with girls & women in mind
Fundraising for, and getting equipment to create an area girls have asked for
Running a range of events and activities for girls (and women)
To keep up to date with the project, you can sign up to our mailing list.
To find out more about the whole project and what we’ve done so far – take a look here.
What’s coming up in 2024 for the ‘Make Space for Girls’ in Rowntree Park project?
The June programme of events
Through June there will be a free programme of events mainly aimed at girls 10-18 (with some events suitable for younger girls and some for women too). The events will include sports and exercise, nature and wellbeing, arts and crafts, music and theatre and much more! All the events are focused on getting girls to tree new things in the public space and meet likeminded individuals.
If you’d like to run an event as part of the programme, you can find out more and register interest below. A few of the events will take place in other York parks this year, as we start to expand the programme.
Our 2023 programme of events won ‘Best initiative to increase park use by women and girls’ from Greenflag Awards.
Thank you to The National Lottery Community Fund, Benenden Health and the Mount School for supporting the June 2024 programme.
An area for older girls
We have managed to kick off our funding raising for a ‘play’ area older girls have requested, and the first Phase will be installed in spring 2024 and will include social seating and a communal swing. We need more money for Phase 2 and are looking for sponsors, grants or fundraising ideas to help make this a reality. Can you help? Get in touch!
A huge thank you to the Sweaty Betty Foundation, Whotwham Family TRust and the Micklegate Ward for funds towards phase 1.
Trailblazer Project
A group of 12 teen girls are involved in the Trailblazer’s Project. The project is part of a city wide trail of sculture that will go across York in the summer of 2024. Each sculpture represents a York trailblazer and our MSFG girls have also been working with York HerStory on our female trailblazer. The girls have researched a person and provided a brief for artists who then bid for the project. The girls have chosen an artist and will work with them over coming months to make the sculture a reality!
Our sculture will go near the new area we are creating for older girls in Rowntree Park as a representation of ‘space’ and looking at things differently…more will be revealed soon!
Building a project team
The Make Space for Girls in Rowntree Park project has been designed and led by Abigail Gaines, and it would be great to have a team of volunteers involved in the project. There is more info here about how you could get involved – take a look!
York International Women’s Week 2024
Project lead, Abigail Gaines, is a guest speaker for the Lady Mayoress ‘International Women’s Day’ event on March 8th at the Mansion House in York.
Make Space: Rethinking parks for girls and women – Wednesday 6th of March
This evening session is part of York International Women’s week. Join Abigail to talk through the current issues with parks with regard to design/use linked to women and girls, and we can rethink parks! Also a great opportunity to find out more about our girls project and get involved! Free to attend but book places here.
More info on the project as a whole:
Main project page: https://rowntreepark.org.uk/make-space-for-girls-older-girls-and-rowntree-park/
June 2023 summary of events blog – https://rowntreepark.org.uk/make-space-for-girls-june-programme-of-events-in-rowntree-park-celebration/
