Sport England has unveiled a new £10m 'Active Women' funding package, which aims to increase the number of women from disadvantaged communities participating in sport.

The funding pledge, which will also target women who care for children full-time, is designed to remove the number of barriers facing those who want to play sport, including childcare, transport, cost and time constraints. Backed by former Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis, sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe and the Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSFF), the Active Women fund is the second of Sport England's themed rounds to address some of the key issues affecting participation at grassroots level ahead of the 2012 Olympics.

According to the organisation's Active People Survey July 08 - July 09, only one in eight women across England regularly play sport, which compares with one in five men. Women from disadvantaged communities are less likely to regularly play sport. Sport England chief executive Jennie Price said: "We know that women can face particular barriers to taking part in sport, and it is important we invest resources into understanding how best to overturn those.

"That's why this themed round is all about encouraging innovative projects and ideas to come forward and help us make sport fun and accessible for women across the country." The launch of the Active Women fund comes as Sport England confirmed it will invest £1.4m in helping the WSFF work with national governing bodies for sport to provide the opportunities that meet the needs of women.

WSFF chief executive officer Sue Tibballs said: "From juggling a busy schedule to managing a tight budget, taking part in sport can seem like a distant possibility for women. We know however that when shaped with women in mind, projects can play a huge part in making sport more accessible and indeed attractive."