On Thursday 22nd March, 2007, Dame Kelly Holmes spent the day in a variety of Stafford Schools as part of the Girls Active Programme.
Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes, the National School Sport Champion, launched the Norwich Union GirlsActive Initiative in October in a bid to encourage teenage girls to participate in sport.
In November 2006, Kelly hosted three events, where girls from across England were tasked with developing ideas for changes that could be made in their school to improve participation in Sport. Four girls from the Stafford and Stone School Sport Partnership attended a roadshow in Shropshire with SSCo - Dawn Gibbs. The four girls were Heidi Williams (Rising Brook
Sports College), Kelsey Byrne (Blessed William Howard), Lucy Casley (Sir Graham Balfour High) and Nicola Donovan (Weston Road High).
Since attending the roadshow, the girls completed an action plan (with the help of other girls representing Stafford High Schools) where they looked at the current PE environment, range of activities, kit policy and other opportunities available to them. With the support of Mrs. Gibbs, the girls have used the action plan to make future plans and suggestions for change in their schools. Kelly praised the action plan saying, "The girls worked collaborately and have shown strong partnership working. They are creating change by influencing key decision makers."
The Stafford and Stone School Sport Partnership was recognised at the Daily Telegraph/Norwich Union School Sport Matters Awards. The Partnership was honoured during a star-studded ceremony at Lord's Cricket Ground in London in December 2006. Staff and pupils were recognised through the GirlsActive initiative and received their award from Dame Kelly Holmes, who will now make a personal visit on 
March 22nd to the Stafford and Stone Partnership as part of the prize.
Pupils and staff alike were extremely excited about the visit. Heidi Williams a Year 10 pupil at Rising Brook said, "Kelly was an inspiration to us all. The overall experience has been fantastic and hopefully we can impact on the other girls in our schools". Mrs. Gibbs, School Sport Coordinator for the Partnership added, "I am really proud of the girls achievements and they thoroughly deserve their accolade."