We are thrilled to announce the launch of Girls Friendly Schools, our after-school clubs, aimed at providing more girls with access to the life-changing benefits of GFS.
Our existing GFS groups have a huge positive impact on girls, building their confidence, aspirations, self-belief, and their ability to develop supportive friendships.
We believe that every girl deserves a safe, inclusive space where they can be themselves, and now, with our new after-school clubs, we’re making it even more accessible.
Girls Friendly Schools are based on the same GFS model, but held in school at the end of the school day.
Importantly, this arrangement removes the need for parents to get girls to and from the group, making participation even more accessible.
Girls Friendly Schools adapts the well-established GFS programme to suit this new setting, but still focused on the six GFS girl statements, with every session centred on one or more of the statements:
- I can speak up about things that matter to me
- I am proud of who I am
- I try again if I have a setback
- I can try new or unfamiliar things
- I believe I can achieve my hopes and dreams
- I can enjoy friendships with all kinds of people
St. Paul’s Primary in Bury launched last week, and the first thing the girls did was decide a name for their group, calling it ‘Girls Club’.
“We then spent time getting to know each other whilst making friendship bracelets. As we were chatting one of the girls (aged nine) asked if we could talk next week about confidence. She said her friends are “sassy”, and she doesn’t feel sassy and confident like the other girls. It’s week one… she has already spoken up about something that matters to her.”
-Charlotte Hunt, the group leader for St. Paul’s
At last week’s session at Dylan Thomas Community School in Swansea, the girls were given a message of encouragement as part of the GFS #GirlsAllowed campaign for International Day of the Girl.
Women from all around the world are adding messages to a wall of wisdom, which are then meticulously handwritten into origami hearts for our GFS girls to keep. Shelley Williams, the leader for Dylan Thomas, shared afterwards “The girls loved their messages so much that they asked to create their own to pass on to our younger girls group tomorrow”.
Could you add a message to our wall of wisdom to encourage a GFS girl?
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