PEOPLE across the South Hams are talking about wanting to get fit in January, and Active Devon wants to turn their talking into doing.

As part of the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign, the focus will be on women and girls getting active in Devon, you may have seen their adverts on TV.

Active Devon, the County Sports Partnership whose emphasis is on grassroots informal community sport and informal activity, are urging women and girls to try out something active this January at their local leisure centres, clubs and activity hubs, all of which offer a wide range of women focused classes.

Local This Girl Can partners include Kingsbridge and Salcombe Hockey Club, Quayside Netball Club, Kingsbridge Area Netball Club, Ivybridge Table Tennis Club, Modbury Rovers Veterans, Dart Hockey Club, Dartmouth Aikido Club, Dartmouth Judo Club and Totnes Judo Club.

‘This Girl Can’ is a multi-award winning national campaign, which celebrates real women up and down the country who are doing their thing to get active no matter how well, or badly, they do it and no matter how sweaty and red they get.

January is traditionally a time for goal setting, new horizons and new challenges, which is why Active Devon have hand-picked some local ambassadors to visit a range of Devon projects that have a successful track records in engaging and inspiring women and girls who are not normally active, to give it a try.

Nationally, two million fewer women are taking part in sport and physical activity than their male counterparts which is why Active Devon are forging ahead with a month to celebrate women getting active.

In Devon the is a gender gap between men and women regularly taking part in activity and sport, with 34.2 per cent of women doing 30 minutes per week compared to 41 per cent of men.

The gender gap is most significant in Devon between the ages of 13-30. Sport England’s and the Women in Sport Foundation’s research shows that the biggest obstacle to female participation is fear of judgement.

‘I want to feel comfortable in my dress and I don’t want my wedding pictures to be a constant reminder of how overweight I was’ says Clare Woods, one of the volunteer This Girl Can in Devon ambassadors in the first of her January vlogs – video blogs – for the campaign that she has shared with women across the county.

Active Devon want to hear from women of all shapes, sizes and fitness levels to find out what is motivating them. Clare’s vlogs will be showcased on Active Devon’s social media channels. Join the conversation @activedevon or search for Active Devon on Facebook.

You can join in the fun and post what you are doing on line by using #ThisGirlCan #Devon in combination and Active Devon will share your posts. Active Mums is just one of many projects through which Active Devon works, with local and national partners, to get everyone in Devon active for life.

Call 01392 925150 or visit: www.activedevon.org to find out more.