To celebrate International Women's Day 2025, Colleges Scotland is highlighting a pioneering college football course aimed at girls that is poised for expansion to women of all ages - including those who have experienced the menopause.

Plans to develop the sessions at Edinburgh College are being unveiled ahead of International Women’s Day (8 March 2025) and come amid efforts to ensure students across Scotland can access high-quality sport and fitness opportunities.

Last year it was announced that the Active Campus Network – a partnership between Colleges Scotland, sportscotland and Scottish Student Sport – had secured £1.45 million of National Lottery funding to support its 18-strong team of campus coordinators.

Edinburgh College lecturer Becky Galbraith - who scored 62 goals as a striker for capital side Spartans - hopes that expansion of the football course she created will enable her and her colleagues to reach a larger number of learners.

She said: “There’s a whole community of young girls and women out there who are looking for college sports courses that focus solely on female performance.”

Work to expand Becky’s programme is progressing as women’s football enjoys a surge in global popularity and participation. However, players are all too often let down by training that puts them at increased risk of injury because it is designed for boys and men.   

Becky and her team are helping to plug this gap, providing school pupils with practical and theoretical preparation in areas such as nutrition, strength and conditioning, and female anatomy.

“Our course is the first of its kind in Scotland and it's specifically targeted at young women who are school-aged and who are competing at any level,” she said.

“It's focused on football at the moment, but I’m hoping to expand to sport and fitness for women of all ages - even post-menopause.

“Ours is a women's performance and wellbeing course that looks at more specific anatomy and physiology needs, nutritional needs, performance needs - and the goal going forward is to provide courses that will cater to a range of women and girls through different stages in their lives.”

Pupils already enrolled on the course, which launched in 2023, have been positive about its impact.

Rhona Brown, 16, who is in S5 at Queensferry High, South Queensferry, said: “This course is good for women as women’s bodies are different to men’s, and you get more specific training tailored to you.”

Leaders at Edinburgh College are keen to work with Becky to support the continued evolution of her course.

Audrey Cumberford, Principal and Chief Executive, said: “Using activity, using sport, as a vehicle to help with students’ wellbeing and with boosting inclusion is hugely important.

“What Becky has done is deliver proof of concept. She’s established a strong foundation that has already had very positive outcomes.

“Becky, like many staff across our college, is delivering relevant curriculum for today but also has an eye on the future and on how we evolve our offer and innovate. It is important that we support staff to look to the future, to be forward-looking and ambitious – trying new things, new approaches, new provision.”

Dr Graeme Jackson, CEO of Colleges Scotland, said: “International Women’s Day is the perfect opportunity to reflect on the role that colleges play in supporting women of all ages across Scotland. Around half of all students in colleges are women and around 61 per cent of college staff are women. In fact, 46 per cent of colleges are led by women and that’s worth celebrating. 

“The groundbreaking women’s football course at Edinburgh College is a fantastic example of how colleges support their local communities and are actively looking at ways to plug gaps in education and training for individuals of all ages, nurture talent, and provide opportunities for activity as part of daily campus life. 

“Sport is a big part of the identity of a college between competitive teams, learning and teaching for sport, health and wellbeing, and college students and staff taking part in sport and fitness every day across the country in gyms, pitches, sports halls and training grounds.”