Get on Deck!

Aim: 'Get On Deck' is a new programme aimed at encouraging more females of all ages to get involved and stay involved in our club.

The 'Get on Deck' project aims to revitalise and sustain female engagement across all age groups in our amateur swimming club, a registered charity in Northern Ireland. The initiative will focus on increasing female participation, fostering long-term membership enhancing the club’s volunteer network.

By creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, the project will introduce new  and existing female swimmers—from children to seniors—to the benefits of swimming, both for health and social connection. Simultaneously, it will offer meaningful volunteer opportunities for parents and guardians that suit a variety of interests and time commitments, including coaching, event planning, fundraising, administration and getting involved in the Committee.

Key components of the project include:

• Outreach activity through social media to attract new female members and volunteers.
• Flexible Volunteering Options: Training and support to make volunteering accessible and rewarding and to also provide support to those wishing to do accredited training through Swim Ireland and Swim Ulster e.g. as a coach, Team Manager or official
• Targeted outreach to schools to engage more females to try our sport
• Targeted workshops e.g. aimed at females in the club to include the following: 
  • Body Image & Self-Esteem:
    • Healthy relationships with food and exercise
  • Confidence Building:
    • Visualisation, goal-setting, and positive self-talk
    • Peer support 
  • Menstruation & Performance: Understanding the menstrual cycle and how it affects training and competition
  • Technical skills development engaging a female athlete panel

This project is a new initiative within the club and additional to existing provision. We have never before focused workshop delivery solely on females nor done a targeted campaign to encourage more female volunteers but by doing so, we endeavour to promote sport / health and wellbeing to this specific group so that we can build their confidence and make them feel more supported to get involved and from an athlete perspective to have the space to discuss issues pertinent to females in sport.  School outreach is also a completely new initiative for the club and through this project, we aspire to attract more enquiries from females in local primary schools wanting to try our sport and provide them with the opportunity to do through taster sessions so those who otherwise may not have been aware of how to get involved and not had the confidence to reach out, can be invited to 'try it' sessions.

The community and social impact of the project will be as follows:

- Increased visibility and empowerment of females in sport

- Raised awareness of opportunities available to females and of female role models

- A shared improved understanding of the type of challenges that may present barriers to females starting / continuing in sport through the provision of a safe space to discuss issues such as menstruation and body image

This project "levels the playing field" for females in several  ways by directly addressing the barriers that often limit female participation in sport—especially in swimming as follows:

1. Creating Equal Access to Opportunities

School Outreach & Taster Sessions: By actively reaching out to local primary schools and offering ‘try it’ sessions, the project introduces girls to swimming who may not have otherwise had the awareness, access, or confidence to get involved. This opens doors to participation that were previously closed or invisible to many.

Flexible Volunteering Roles: By offering clear, supportive, and varied volunteering opportunities (with flexible time commitments), the project allows more women—especially those balancing work, family, or other commitments—to engage in leadership and development roles within the club.

2. Addressing Gender-Specific Barriers

Workshops on Body Image, Confidence, and Menstruation: These workshops tackle issues that disproportionately affect girls and women in sport but are rarely addressed in traditional club settings. By normalising these conversations, the project helps remove stigma, build confidence, and keep female athletes in the sport longer.

Safe Spaces for Discussion: The inclusion of peer groups and targeted female workshops creates a safe and open environment where female athletes and volunteers can share experiences and feel understood and supported.

3. Building Female Representation and Role Models

Female Athlete Panel & Technical Skills Development: Seeing and learning from other female athletes in leadership or high-performance roles helps to challenge stereotypes and inspire the next generation of swimmers and volunteers.

Raising Visibility of Female Volunteers: Actively encouraging and promoting female involvement in coaching, officiating, and governance makes the sport more representative and inclusive, and demonstrates that women have a valued and visible place at all levels of the club.

4. Promoting Retention, Not Just Recruitment

This project doesn’t just bring females into the sport—it supports them to stay, thrive, and grow by meeting their unique needs, offering mentoring, and building community. Retention is a key element in achieving true equity, not just temporary access.

Ultimately, this project seeks to further transform the club into a vibrant, multigenerational hub where swimming is not just a sport but a shared community and family experience —powered by volunteers, open to all, and built to last, where females are provided with opportunities to 'level the playing field'.

'Get on Deck' Proposed Budget Breakdown (10k)

-Workshops focused on female athletes: £2000 (4 x 2 hr Workshops x £500 to include speaker/ facilitator fees, room hire (£100) and refreshments 20 x £10pp)

-School Outreach Programme to include taster sessions / midterm camp: £2500 (2 x 3 day block sessions x 2 hours / day in school holidays to include pool hire and coach fees) 2 x Taster Session blocks  6 weeks x 2hrs x 10 children (£60pp)

-Technical clinics focused on female Competitive and 'Masters' swimmers: £1600 (8 workshops x £200 to cover pool hire (approx. 16-20 hours x 3 lanes x £35 p/hr, refreshments and Coach fee 20 hours x £20/hr)

-Marketing / Promotion of 'Get on Deck': £1000 (Programme  merchandise to promote the project, targeted school marketing, photography and production of a project video)

-Education Opportunities for females e.g. Swim Ireland Coach / Swim Teacher qualifications: £2450 (2 x Level 2 @ £700 and 2x Level1 Swim Teacher) Qualifications @£400 + Safeguarding(approx. £20pp)  + 5 x Team Manager x £10 (+ £20 safeguarding) and Officiating qualifications)

-Volunteer Engagement Workshops: £450 (3 workshops x £150 to include room hire/ refreshments based on recent event costs)

The project will run from August 2025 until February 2026.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 12th August 2025 at 10:22pm