A local rounders playing mum has been selected to be the face of a national poster campaign.
Jo Baldwin, 43, has been picked from hundreds of women to appear on more than 4000 posters around the country promoting Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign, which aims to inspire women of all ages, shapes, sizes and abilities to take up a sport.
Jo said: “It was great fun to be involved in the photoshoot and it’s such a fantastic campaign that sends out a positive message to women to get up and give sport a go.
“It doesn’t matter what size you are, how you look or even if you’re good at sport, what matters is you’re giving it a go, meeting new friends, getting fitter and, most importantly, having fun.”
The game caters for all ages, abilities and fitness levels and is the perfect sport for women who have not really played much sport since leaving school, however long ago that may have been.
Burnley Leisure’s Get in2 team delivers the rounders project in Burnley in partnership with Rounders England and the newly formed Burnley Rounders Club.
The project now has 24 teams competing in the two women’s summer leagues running every Monday and Wednesday. It also runs the indoor rounders leagues during the winter months which are based at the St Peter’s Leisure Centre, Burnley.
Burnley Leisure’s sport and play development officer and the lead on the project, Janet Roundell said she is overwhelmed by the number of women now playing rounders in Burnley.
Janet said: “We started two summers ago with a ‘just play’ session on a local school’s rounders pitch that was attended by 12 women and a couple of children. Now we have two leagues with 24 teams and a group of nearly 500 women that are rounders mad.
“We’re very proud of Jo Baldwin for being selected as the face of women’s rounders in the UK. She attended our very first session and now plays every week with her team.”
Jo has also taken on the role as chairperson of Burnley Rounders Club, which is doing some great work raising awareness. The club has also recently secured Sport England funding to further develop the sport in Burnley as well as recruit and train people to become qualified coaches and umpires to work on the project.
Janet added: “We all are having fun spotting the giant posters of Jo and we are even running a fun #Where’sBalders competition for players to take selfies with the poster and post on social media to promote This Girl Can campaign.”
For information how to get involved and play rounders in Burnley, please contact Janet on 01282 477167 or email getin2@burnley.gov.uk.
