Get Out Get Active leads the way with women's cycling in Nottingham
Activity Alliance's Get Out Get Active programme supports the latest phase of Sport England's award-winning campaign - This Girl Can - to help women get active. This week, the campaign has turned its attention to tackling the exercise Enjoyment Gap, as research reveals 2.4 million fewer women enjoy exercise than men.
In 2015, This Girl Can changed the game, inspiring 2.9 million women to get active. But despite this progress, there is still more to do.
On Tuesday 28 February, Sport England launched This Girl Can's new campaign phase - This Girl Can With You. It is a call-to-arms to sport and activity providers to dismantle the barriers that contribute to the exercise Enjoyment Gap. The campaign identifies four action areas with the power to dismantle the barriers faced by girls and women and close the Enjoyment Gap. Activities for women must be:
- Social (help women feel part of a community),
- Suitable (meet women’s needs),
- Self-Affirming (help women feel confident) and,
- Safe (women must feel physically and emotionally safe when taking part).
GOGA Nottingham female cycling sessions
In Nottingham, our Get Out Get Active (GOGA) programme is providing safe, social, and self-affirming opportunities for disabled and non-disabled women and girls to be active and build confidence through female cycling sessions. Delivered by Nottingham City Council and RideWise.
Watch GOGA video about female cycling sessions in Nottingham
Many participants weren’t confident cyclists, so it was important to create a safe and welcoming environment for them. The sessions were held at an indoor venue, where bikes and helmets were available. The running times for each session were also extended to help participants build their confidence.
It quickly became clear that participants need a lot more support, as many had never been on a bike before. So, Nottingham City Council and RideWise decided to run the sessions for a further 12 weeks.
Since the scheme launched, the sessions have been immensely popular. The majority of participants are Muslim women and their children, who have never been able to access bikes before.
The feedback from participants has been hugely positive, and many have noted the indoor venue and the patience and flexibility of the instructors as the best parts of the scheme.
As the programme goes from strength to strength, many women and their children are becoming more and more invested in cycling.
The team are now looking to create a less intensive yearly programme with confidence-building drop-ins for participants. These sessions will continue to build confidence and encourage participants to access mainstream cycling services.
This story is part of Get Out Get Active's campaign, #TheGOGAWay. Showing how the GOGA approach can help organisations do things differently across the UK.
About Get Out Get Active
Get Out Get Active (GOGA) is a programme that supports disabled and non-disabled people to enjoy being active together. Activity Alliance is the creator and lead partner. The programme is funded by Spirit of 2012, Sport England and London Marathon Charitable Trust.
