Girls Get Gliding
Gliding – A male Dominated Sport
WHY?

Girls Get Gliding
• 50% (give or take) of our population is female
• In 2005 1% of our flying membership was female
• LGC had an objective to increase its membership
• Not rocket science – a very big market
• 2 Years of wheel spin

Where to Start?
• Engage the females and ask them • “That’s OK we want it done properly
leave it to us” • “We want a weekend day set aside
during the summer with the whole club 2 seater fleet and all the instructors that WE want” • “OK” – not a major investment

“Girls Get Gliding”
• Hate the title? The “Girls” idea – not mine • A couple of meetings • Concessionary rate? – Yes Cost plus a bit • Pick the date – summer Saturday • Publicity – just tell the members and
visitors between now and then • Who will instruct? – Let the girls decide • Who will arrange ground support? – The
Girls!

Results
• 5 K21s flown all day with female pupils aerotow only
• Motor Glider flown all day • A relaxed, well run enjoyable day with
more women than men around the place • 2 new female club members • A feeling of genuine commitment to
address the imbalance

6 Years Later
• Each year we seem to gain one new long-term female member (plus a few shorter term members – consistent with male joiners)
• Now have a very slightly better balance with three female instructors
• One tug pilot • One UK team member • One UK team manager • Still not “Critical Mass” but getting closer

What next?
• We operate in an area where the population now comprises less than 50% white British
• We have less than 1% of members from ethnic backgrounds……………..
• We have played on the edge of trying to address this one but have a very long way to go