Gender sports gap for young people is smaller in Banbury than elsewhere
06/07/2026
Banbury’s MP has welcomed the findings but recognises further progress is needed
The difference in the amount of time girls and boys participate in sport is less in Banbury than many other parts of the country.
Research commissioned by Sky into the sport gender gap revealed an average difference across the country of 84 minutes between the time boys and girls played sport, but in the Banbury constituency the gap was just 29 minutes.
The constituency-level analysis by Public First, put Banbury in an impressive 19th position out of 650 constituencies across the country. Here boys were seen to be participating in sports for 7 hours 48 minutes with girls joining in for 7 hours 19 minutes.
MP Sean Woodcock welcomed the findings while recognising that further progress is needed. He said: “This research from Sky highlights the progress being made in Banbury and Chipping Norton, while reminding us that there is still more to do to close the participation gap for girls across the country.
“We should be proud of what has been achieved locally, but our ambition must be for every girl, wherever she lives, to have the same opportunity as every boy to take part in sport. By sharing what works and continuing to invest in opportunities for girls, we can help close the participation gap and ensure every young person can enjoy the benefits of being active.”
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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