Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland and the Scottish Football Association is providing free football sessions for women in Scotland in a bid to get women more active.
With over 90,000 women living with heart disease in Scotland, it is the cause of one in 10 deaths.
Now running across Scotland, the free football sessions for women aged 16 and over sessions hope to get more women active, as physical activity can help to prevent heart disease. The four-year partnership hopes to get an extra 25,000 women playing the sport.
The partnership aims to support the Scottish Football Association’s Women’s Health Action Plan, which aims to proactively support women’s health.
In a press statement, Jane-Claire Judson, Chief Executive of Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland commented: “We are thrilled to be launching the next phase of our partnership with the Scottish FA that will see more women enjoying the benefits of playing football.
“Taking part in team sport is fantastic for both mental and physical health. We want to empower women to take time for themselves to enjoy sport and improve their overall wellbeing.
“Every year in Scotland we lose thousands of women to heart disease. At CHSS we’re committed to improving health outcomes for women across the country, and our partnership with the Scottish FA is an example of our commitment in action.”
Shirley Martin, Head of Women and Girls’ Football at the Scottish FA also commented to say: “We are absolutely delighted to have Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland onboard as our new partner for the women’s recreational football programme.
“Through the power of football, we can offer more women the opportunity to get active while also sharing vital health education messages across communities in Scotland around symptoms to do with chest, heart disease and stroke but also how to react to those symptoms.
“Together, we aim to inspire positive change, promoting both physical and mental well-being.”
