Sport England announced this morning that £10m worth of National Lottery funding would be made available to actively encourage women from disadvantaged communities and women caring for children to engage in sporting activities.

Launched by Jennie Price, chief executive of Sport England, and Gerry Sutcliffe, the Minister for Sport, the ‘Active Women’ campaign aims to push funds towards covering the costs of childcare, travel and coaching thus freeing women of some of the burdens which hinder their access to sporting pursuits. At present, one in eight women regularly play sport in England. Whilst this has increased significantly since 2005/2006, women's participation still trails behind that of their male counterparts, with one in five men active and the gender gap increasing.

A fundamental part of the government’s London Olympic legacy, it is hoped that more than a million people will take up involvement in similar schemes in the build-up to the 2012 games.

With schools, community groups, local councils and existing sporting bodies all encouraged to apply for funding the campaign it is hoped that the campaign will form a fundamental part of the government’s London Olympic legacy, which aims to get over a million people involved in sport in the build up to the 2012 games.

Speaking of her own personal difficulties at fitting in exercise whilst raising children, Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis stressed: “I never realised how difficult it would be after having three children to find any ‘me’ time. But it’s important because sport can rejuvenate your mind and give you a sense of purpose.”

Understanding the pressures which restrict women's access to regular exercise, Sport England's Jennie Price added:

“Taking up sport, and finding an activity you really enjoy, is something that everyone should have the opportunity to do.

“We know that women can face particular barriers to taking part in sport, and it is important we invest resources into understanding how best to overturn those.

“That’s why this themed round is all about encouraging innovative projects and ideas to come forward and help us make sport fun and accessible for women across the country.”

Fully backed by the government, Gerry Sutcliffe, Minister for Sport, also voiced his support for the campaign:

“Getting more women and girls to play sport is top of my agenda so it’s fantastic that Sport England has committed £10 million to making sure this happens.

“Our sportswomen have had a bumper year and I hope the successes of stars like Jessica Ennis and the England women’s cricket team will inspire more women across the country to make that important first step.

“There is a sport out there for everyone and this investment will help clubs reach out to women who haven’t found theirs yet.”