A fast-growing not-for-profit organisation dedicated to boosting girls’ confidence is opening a new after-school club in Knaphill, offering local families a fresh response to growing concerns around girls’ wellbeing.

Fearless Girls Club will launch its third weekly club at Knaphill Methodist Church Hall, running every Tuesday from 5.30pm to 7pm for girls aged eight to 12. The club already operates successfully in Chobham and Sunninghill, with demand continuing to rise.

Founded by local mums Elle Wilks and Kate Cooper, Fearless Girls Club was created to help girls build confidence, resilience and self-belief at a critical stage of childhood. Sessions are built around “Club Quests” – research-based activities designed to help girls understand who they are, find their voice and embrace being bold.

The need is clear. A Girlguiding study in 2023 found girls’ happiness at a 15-year low, while research published by A Mighty Girl in 2024 showed confidence drops by 30 per cent between the ages of eight and 14. Earlier findings from Dove revealed fewer than four in ten UK girls report high self-esteem.

Sessions are supported by volunteer “Quest Leaders” – older girls from local secondary schools who act as positive role models and help younger members develop leadership skills.

Wilks said: “Fearless Girls Club gives them space to explore who they are, to ask questions, take up space and learn to feel proud of themselves. We’re helping them build the kind of self-belief and resilience that lasts into adulthood, so when life gets tough, they know how to handle it. Club is a place where they can learn to be and love themselves, and know they’re not alone.”

Launched in 2025, the clubs have filled quickly and now run with waiting lists.

The organisation also offers a national subscription box, with bookings for the Knaphill club now open via its website.