Hatch End High School in Harrow will introduce its female students to strength training this month, via a partnership with Project Power™ – an initiative established by iconic fitness influencer and entrepreneur Krissy Cela, founder of global activewear brand Oner Active and strength training app EvolveYou, to address the decline in sports and PE amongst teenage girls, and to help girls feel more confident to move their bodies and empowered to stay active.

Previous research highlights that more than one million teenage girls (43%) who once considered themselves ‘sporty’, disengage from sport following primary school. Only 59% of girls aged 14-16 report enjoying PE, compared to 84% of boys.

Project Power™ sets out to transform the way that young girls perceive physical activity through the introduction of strength training in schools, and by also ensuring that all teenage girls have access to suitable activewear to inspire confidence and encourage participation.

Through a series of women-led, women-only expert workshops within schools across the UK, the initiative aims to equip girls with the knowledge and resources to build physical strength and feel confident in their bodies and their abilities. To date, 14 workshops have taken place across the country, with at least five further workshops planned before the year-end, which will see a total of almost 2,000 (1,800) teenage girls participating.

Alongside the workshops and addressing the substantial barrier to exercise amongst girls that is brought about by PE kits, Oner Active also provides every girl aged 14-18 at the school with a free pair of gym leggings, a sports bra, and a T-shirt. By the end of the year, this programme will have resulted in 18,000 pieces of Oner Active fitnesswear being gifted to 6,000 teenage girls.

The workshop at Hatch End High School will be led by Oner Active athletes Evie Penington and Imaani Yeahia, together with Oner Active professional athlete and Olympian Ashleigh Nelson, who will introduce the girls to the foundations of strength training. The inspiring session will also include a motivational talk and interactive Q&A session that covers a wide range of topics, from health and wellness, to fitness and careers, with the school then being provided with ongoing support to help ensure that strength training can remain a key part of their approach to physical activity amongst female students.

Parents and teachers can also access further resources via a dedicated Instagram channel @projectpowerbykc, which offers strength training tips and insight, Q&As, motivational stories and more, designed to inspire and educate them on the benefits of strength training for girls. It will also provide a clear route for schools to connect, in order to explore hosting their own workshop for female students.

“I am so passionate about the role that strength training can play in building confidence and enjoyment of physical activity amongst girls, as this is something that I’ve experienced first-hand,” says Krissy, a strength training icon who has inspired a generation of strong, confident and empowered young women through her own fitness journey. “Through Project Power™ and our school workshops, we have been able to reach thousands of young women which, together with their new Oner Active kits, has instilled a newfound confidence amongst them when it comes to exercise.

“We are so excited to partner with Hatch End High School and I can’t wait to hear how their students respond to the session. We urge other schools in the area to get in touch to explore how our programme can support their young women too.”

Research carried out by Oner Active following the most recent school workshops demonstrates that a huge 97% of the girls who responded to the survey felt more inspired to do exercise after the workshop, while 85% would like to see strength training within PE classes.