"BASC welcomed 1212 new women members in 2011 and that figure rose to 1603 in 2015."

BASC welcomes increase in the number of women getting active

BASC has welcomed the results of a survey carried out by Sport England which shows that more women than ever are getting active.

Figures released from Sport England's Active People Survey show 7.21 million women are now getting active – 250,000 more than when the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign was launched.

The number of women members joining BASC each year has risen a third over the last four years.

BASC welcomed 1212 new women members in 2011 and that figure rose to 1603 in 2015.

Professor Ann Mortimer, one of four women on BASC’s council, said:  “BASC embraces the entire family of shooting, and we are delighted to have as many ladies as possible in the ranks.

“I have loved my time working with BASC since I first became a member more than 10 years ago. I am now a council member, and I hope that shows that there is a role for women in shooting. The greater the number of women members, the greater the availability of female talent and influence within the sport.”

BASC now has almost 10,000 women members and has been catering further for the upsurge in women shooters in recent years. The association recently launched an online hub to bring together all aspects of ladies' shooting.

Kathleen O'Connor, from BASC Ladies, said: "We have worked hard to attract women members. We have done this in a number of ways including the creation of the BASC Ladies' group, promotion of dedicated ladies' days and encouraging women to sign up as accredited shotgun coaches."

Follow @BascLadies on Twitter.

The Sport England survey can be read here: https://www.sportengland.org/apsresults/

Survey results recently published by BASC into the wellbeing benefits of shooting demonstrated that shooting is a versatile and inclusive sport, suitable for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Survey respondents commented that shooting is “a great leveller – men and women can shoot alongside each other on an equal basis while having a fun, enjoyable and social day out.”

BASC’s research can be read here:

https://basc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2016/10/The-personal-value-of-shooting-LOW-RES.pdf