On Monday 20th July 2026, the UK Ice Hockey Foundation hosted a dedicated Girls Event at Planet Ice Blackburn Arena, bringing together young female athletes from across the region for an empowering series of off-ice and on-ice activities.

The event brought together girls ranging from 12-17 years old, providing participants of all skill levels with confidence-building exercises, off-ice conditioning, video coaching and on-ice training, within a supportive, athlete-centric environment.

This event was delivered on-site by the Foundation’s Corey Neilson, Davey Lawrence and Sandro Scigliano, who worked closely with local coaches from the Lancashire Ice Hockey Academy (LIHA).

There was a strong contingent of young female participants who engaged in dedicated on-ice and off-ice sessions with a focus on inclusivity, confidence-building, and introducing new, age-appropriate development drills.

A parent of one of the attendees commented, “Girls-only events like this are so helpful. Great to see the rink being used in such a positive way, the coaches were great and my daughter would love to attend again.”