Glasgow Girls Club
At Glasgow Girls Club, we are passionate about assisting in opening doors to opportunities and pathways for young women facing adversity or crisis. By creating a supported space that empowers them to recognise their own agency and strength as community activists and changemakers, who know the challenges facing their communities better than anyone else, participants can build a better world for themselves and their communities. This year our Strong Girls programme was listed as a finalist for a Youthlink Scotland Award within the Inclusion and Prevention category. This initiative is a powerful endorsement for the positive, intervention approach of the Glasgow Girls Club to help girls and young women navigate life, make positive choices and create better futures for themselves.
The ‘Strong Girls’ Programme was born in partnership with Police Scotland, created to engage girls and young women who are often described as ‘hard to reach’— disengaged from education, isolated from peers, and some with statutory service involvement. The programme recognised that these young women needed a safe space where they could feel empowered to make positive choices. Over the past few years, the programme has provided consistent and reliable support to young women who face challenges, trauma, poor mental health, and antisocial behaviour. Meeting weekly, the sessions offer a space where participants can engage in activities that build their confidence, skills and divert them from negative pathways.
Our workshops are engaging, and transformative, offering a wide range of activities that reflect the interests and needs of our girls. From our Girls as Leaders + Advocates (GALA) to creative outlets like rap workshops, film-making, and sustainable fashion – every session is tailored to help young women develop a sense of purpose and direction. These activities are strategic interventions which give participants positive, constructive outlets for their energy and creativity. The programme takes a holistic approach to personal development working closely with community police, education, and local partners to ensure that participants receive all-round support.
The impact of the programme is evident in the feedback received. Participants have reported significant improvements such as:
• enhanced resilience and self-awareness;
• improved understanding of healthy relationships;
• increased awareness of risky behaviours; and
• greater confidence in community involvement.
One young woman explained,
“We take part in workshops that really help to increase my confidence and knowledge.”
While another girl expressed,
“It was fun and helped if I was upset. I also loved meeting professional women who are doing jobs in real life that are inspiring.”
Partner organisations have also provided feedback on the notable transformative impact of the work. Teachers and community workers have highlighted improved behaviour, increased engagement in school, and a reduction in conflicts among participants. As one partner put it,
“The difference these sessions have made in such a short period of time has been unbelievable. The girls look forward to attending every week.”
Being a Finalist for the Prevention and Inclusion Award is a powerful endorsement of our positive intervention approach. It highlights the importance of the work we do at Glasgow Girls Club. As we continue to develop our programmes, we will help young women in Glasgow to make positive choices and create better futures for themselves and their communities. Through the ‘Strong Girls’ Programme, we are not simply diverting girls and young women from engaging in harmful behaviours, but we are supporting them to become the architects of their own success.