YOUNG girls who were "putting themselves in grave danger" have transformed their lives and found confidence and community thanks to a programme launched to support them.
Active Essex Foundation uses sport and physical activity to make young people less vulnerable to exploitation and crime with its sports and youth crime prevention programme.
One of its projects, Girls Inspired, was launched last year in response to growing concerns around female youth violence, exploitation and low self-esteem among young girls.
Aimed at girls aged 11 to 24, the programme brings together sports and physical activity, mental health and emotional wellbeing support, mentoring and life skills development, and leadership opportunities.
Girls can also achieve first aid certificates and ASDAN accreditations as part of the programme.
So far, the programme has been a great success in Clacton, Colchester, Walton, Basildon, Thurrock and Harlow, with 70 girls in the last year benefitting from looking at 21 different subjects - from violence against women and girls, to exploitation, youth criminality and social skills.
Programme - The Girls Inspired programme has supported six cohorts of girls to change their lives for the better (Image: Girls Inspired)
In Colchester, an 18-month pilot project was funded by Colchester Council through the Police Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) Safer Streets initiative for 13 to 16-year-old girls in selected secondary schools.
Mary Gipson, deputy lead of Provision 360, an alternative provision for students at St Helena School and Paxman Academy in Colchester, has been shocked to watch the most vulnerable girls in her community transform their lives for the better.
Mrs Gipson said: "I got in touch with Active Essex Foundation as we had a cohort of girls who were finding learning in the classroom very difficult, not engaging with teachers, and were experiencing social anxiety outside of school which was causing them to be unsettled in lessons.
"Within 30 minutes of the course starting, the girls who had struggled to work together were showing a high interest. At the end of the session, they asked if it could be more than once a week.
"That was on day one. I was absolutely shocked.
"I thought 'At last, someone is understanding these children'.
"They became healthier, eating breakfast and swapping chips every night for pasta and salads.
"I can honestly say, four of those girls, in particular, would not be in education now because of what they were getting up to in the community if it were not for Girls Inspired.
"Some were putting themselves in grave danger, sexually, taking drugs and drinking alcohol. Instead, all of those girls are now in further education.
"We started to see them change. It was amazing to watch."
Within weeks, parents began calling the school to ask what had happened to bring about such change in their daughters.
One mum, whose daughter is now 16 and attends Colchester Institute after completing Girls Inspired in Year 10, said: "Life before Girls Inspired was very difficult as my daughter struggles in a school environment. She also struggles with sitting still in one place for a large amount of time, due to autism and ADHD.
"Attending Girls Inspired meant she was out of a classroom, doing different activities that she loved. Girls Inspired also gave her so much more confidence. I believe it's really helped her with starting her new chapter at college.
"Without Girls Inspired, I'm not sure she would be where she is today."
Lifechanging - A programme to support vulnerable young girls has been a great success (Image: Girls Inspired)
Girls Inspired receives funding from the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex and offers progression routes through other Active Essex Foundation programmes, including BoxSmart, SportSmart, Move With Us Youth Leaders Awards, mentoring and further qualifications or community leadership roles.
A new initiative, Under the Radar, has also been launched in partnership with Essex Police, Essex and Thurrock public health and other agencies in Basildon and Thurrock - areas with high gang activity - to support girls involved in county lines and gang exploitation.
Suzanne Page, sport and youth crime prevention project manager, said: "Girls Inspired demonstrates the power of early, gender-informed intervention.
"Research tells us any type of physical activity blended with mentoring, life skills and work opportunities has a far greater output than sitting and talking to young people about their challenges.
"Girls Inspired supports perpetrators of crime, but is also adaptable to those who are more vulnerable and could become victims of criminality or exploitation. Those girls are going under the radar. They are turning up at sexual health and abortion clinics, but not being identified as being victims of exploitation.
"We have targeted areas and schools where we knew there were girls struggling to work in the school setting, who had poor attendance and low chance of achievement. They were involved in antisocial behaviour, exploitation and drugs.
"At the start, we wanted to keep girls safe. But, it has grown into something much more than that. We saw the best impact and better results than we ever expected.
"We have written the course for them; so they can gain ASDAN qualifications and have something positive to put on their CVs."
Councillor Louise McKinlay, deputy leader of Essex County Council, said: "The Girls Inspired programme is having a huge impact within Essex communities, building confidence and resilience.
"This initiative is creating a safe space for young girls to dream big, rise above challenges and increase the opportunities available to them."
It is hoped, with further funding, Girls Inspired can be further expanded across Essex.