Maddy’s Mark is delighted to fund the Harlequins Foundation’s SWITCH programme. This is designed to break down entrenched stereotypes; address barriers linked to body confidence and menstruation and create inclusive environments where girls can thrive. Our programme equips girls with the essential skills they need to develop through sport and will empower their future pathway, whether that is within sport or any area of their own personal, academic or professional journeys.
• Increase physical activity levels in girls.
• Improved confidence, self-esteem, body image and attitude towards education.
• 50 girls to join local grassroots clubs.
• Inspire women/girls to pursue a career in the sports sector.
The details are
• Support 1000 girls to take part in 6-weeks of rugby , building fundamental skills, confidence, and enjoyment of physical activity.
• Create clear progression pathways into local grassroots rugby clubs or sustained pathways within education, enabling at least 10% of participants to continue playing beyond the initial intervention.
• Improve confidence, self‑esteem, body image, and attitudes towards education through a targeted series of empowerment and wellbeing workshops designed to help girls overcome the key barriers that limit participation in sport.
• Showcase careers in the sports industry and support a minimum of 10 women or girls to gain a recognised rugby coaching qualification, opening pathways into leadership and employment within sport.
• Develop and share digital content promoting positive female role models in rugby, leveraging high profile showcase fixtures such as the Capital Clash to motivate girls within our programmes and the wider community.
• Develop digital content to share with Maddy’s Mark sharing the impact of funding.
The social impact generated, both for individual participants and for wider society, will be assessed using our dedicated social value measurement tool, Sports Value Bank (SVB). SVB is an online social value assessment system that enables sports organisations to quantify the impact of their programmes and the broader value they create for communities. Social value helps us to understand the total effect of an activity on a person’s quality of life, as well as the wider social benefits that result from improved wellbeing and health from participation.
Using SVB, we will be able to clearly demonstrate to Social Return on Investment (SROI) of the project, alongside the overall social value created across the community.
Based on previous delivery and benchmarked outcomes, we anticipate an SROI of at least £5 for every £1 invested, generating an estimated £150,000 in total social value.
This projected return directly reflects the positive changes we expect to see in participants, including:
• improved confidence
• improved self esteem
• increased participation in sport and team based activities
• improved attitudes towards education
Achieving these outcomes benefits not only each young person but society as a whole. As girls develop stronger confidence, improved wellbeing, and greater engagement in school, they increase their long term potential to contribute actively within their communities. This creates a ripple effect, strengthening community cohesion, improving social capital, and enhancing the collective value that young people bring to society.
