Sports clubs, teams and grassroots organisations across the Midlands are being invited to apply for fully funded sports bra education workshops, as sports bra expert boobydoo launches a new programme aimed at tackling one of the most overlooked barriers to girls’ participation in sport.
L to R; Tess Howard, MBE OLY, Founder of the Inclusive Sportswear Charter with Charly Rhodes, Rob Merrett, Amelia Dixey and Jessica Grace of boobydoo
The Sports Bra Education Programme, funded by Derby-based boobydoo, will commit £18,000 to deliver 10 fully funded workshops across the Midlands in 2026, supporting the Fix the Kit movement and improving access to inclusive sportswear at grassroots level. Each placement represents a value of £1,800 per club or organisation, removing financial barriers to accessing expert fitting and education. The programme builds on boobydoo’s ongoing work with Tess Howard MBE OLY, Founder of the Inclusive Sportswear Charter, which has driven national awareness of how PE kit can impact participation.
The scale of the issue is significant. Research shows that 64% of girls drop out of sport by the age of 16, with over a third citing their kit as a key reason. This is not a confidence issue or a motivation issue – it is a design and policy issue. For sports clubs and teams, where participation is often voluntary and retention is critical, unsuitable kit can quietly become a deciding factor in whether girls continue or drop out.
Through its newly launched Sports Bra Education Programme, boobydoo will deliver 10 fully funded education and fitting placements this year, beginning in Derbyshire and the wider Midlands region.
Selected sports clubs, teams, community organisations and schools will receive professional 1:1 sports bra fittings, group education workshops focused on breast health and support, access to inclusive sizing and expert guidance, as well as discounted sports bra purchasing options. All sessions will be delivered in safe, supportive and educational environments. Where these services would normally be chargeable, boobydoo will fully fund delivery to ensure access is not a barrier.
Tess Howard will also attend selected fittings as part of the programme, supporting organisations that are actively working to adopt more inclusive approaches to sportswear and ensuring the principles of the Inclusive Sportswear Charter are embedded at grassroots level.
Charly Rhodes, Director of boobydoo, said:
At boobydoo, we believe girls should not feel excluded from sport because of their kit – including being able to properly support and protect their breast health. Breast discomfort and inadequate support are not minor issues; they can impact confidence, performance and physical wellbeing, particularly during adolescence, yet they are rarely discussed openly.
As a business founded to remove these barriers, we feel a responsibility to take action and support initiatives like Fix the Kit, particularly at grassroots level where clubs and teams play such a vital role in keeping girls active. That’s why we’re offering 10 fully funded workshops for sports clubs, community organisations and schools across the Midlands.
By championing inclusive sportswear and improving education around breast health, we want to ensure girls can understand their bodies, make informed choices and stay active. By working collaboratively with clubs, schools, educators and policymakers, including the Department for Education, we can help create sporting environments where comfort, confidence and access to the right support are recognised as essential to participation.”
Tess Howard added: “Too many girls are still being held back by something as simple – and as fixable – as their kit. Inclusive sportswear is about dignity, choice and the right to participate comfortably. It’s incredibly powerful to see organisations like boobydoo taking action to support sports clubs, teams and schools at grassroots level, where change is needed most. These workshops are about more than education – they’re about giving girls the confidence to stay in sport.”
Sports clubs, schools and community organisations across Derby and the wider Midlands can now apply for the boobydoo Sports Bra Education Programme. As part of the application process, organisations will be required to demonstrate a clear commitment to inclusive sportswear, including engagement with the Charter and a plan for embedding long-term education beyond the funded visit.
