Women's sport has never been in the spotlight as much as now. This summer, our brilliant Wales team made history at their first ever Euros and England's Lionesses won the trophy in breath-taking fashion in front of record crowds.

But at the grassroots level, girls are facing too many hurdles along the way. I was inspired to start this campaign after a young constituent came to me in desperation because of a misdiagnosed ACL injury that could have been prevented and which took her out of playing for 18 months. This is happening to too many promising young players.

To begin our campaign, we are running an eight-week training programme for teenage girls designed to help strengthen fitness and prevent injury.

Four girls from AFC Whitchurch are taking part in this evidence-based trial, sponsored by Principality Building Society and delivered by the expert female coaches at ION Strength and Conditioning in Llanishen.

The team, which includes women’s health specialist Rachael Sowden-Taylor and physiotherapist Melissa Jenkins, will employ strength-based training techniques to strengthen lower body musculature, improve movement competency and sharpen neuromuscular control.

They will also provide female-specific education about pelvic health and the effects of the menstrual cycle in relation to sport performance and injury prevention.

They will measure performance improvements across key strength and power markers and provide a quantitative evaluation of the programme’s impact.

This will create an evidence base which can be repeated and scaled up for other female youth teams, in football and other sports.

The challenges facing girls are unique and need an entirely different approach to boys. Studies show that 1 in 3 teenage girls drop out of sport by the age of 17 – often due to injury, a lack of support, or a loss of confidence.

Research suggests female athletes are three to six times more likely to injure their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) than male athletes.

If we can help girls to overcome these hurdles, there are physical and mental benefits – confidence, resilience, and happiness.

The success of the Lionesses this summer is already inspiring the next generation in England and here in Wales. It is a reminder of the power of sport, and what our girls can achieve with the right support.

In time, I hope to expand this campaign so we can help to empower girls right across Cardiff North and eventually beyond.

This summer training programme is an exciting start and I would like to thank ION and Principality for making it possible.

Finally, to the AFC Whitchurch girls taking part – I hope you enjoy the training, and I can’t wait to catch up with all your progress!