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Supporting women and girls to be more active: Manchester City Council

Manchester City Council’s healthy weight strategy follows a life course approach to support Manchester residents to live healthier lifestyles and is comprised of four strands, one of which is physical activity.

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Synopsis

The public health team commission Morelife UK to deliver a Junior Physical Activity on Referral Service (Junior PARS) for children and young people five to 17 years with body mass index (BMI) above 91 per centile. Barriers for girls and women accessing activities have been highlighted to include lack of confidence, cost, and cultural appropriateness. To address this Junior PARS have identified local activities to support the engagement of girls and Public Health has also funded local community-based programmes to deliver targeted activities with women only groups. 

The challenge and solutions

There is demonstrable evidence that girls and women feel more comfortable participating in female only activities and sports. To support this, Junior PARS connect and signpost clients to a range of girls only sessions available within their locality, including football with City in the Community, and Manchester United Street Reds, youth zone sessions at the Hide Out and fitness and exercise classes available through local providers. This has proven to successfully engage female clients with activity and encouraging fellow peers to also participate.

Partner organisation Team Manchester recently established a Girls Safety Project following consultation with a school who identified girls did not feel safe in their community when walking to and from school and lacked confidence when outdoors on their own. A leadership group of female pupils was created who worked with Team Manchester staff to devise a programme to help develop confidence in these areas. The group took responsibility for developing the programme, managing the finances and implementation of the project. The project is ongoing but to date the leadership group have improved a range of skills including teamwork, problem solving and budgeting. Team Manchester also deliver partnership programmes to provide opportunities for girls to get involved in playing football, netball and rounders. For International Women’s Day on 8 March 2024, 66 schools signed up to play in girls only football tournament with 1500 girls in attendance. 

A football team of girls smiling for a photo. The girls all have medals on, and some are holding a trophy in the air.

The community activity fund launched by Public Health last year welcomed local organisations and communities to apply for funding for projects that support delivery of the healthy weight strategy. One of the projects to receive funding was the provision of physical activities for asylum seeking, refugee and migrant women in Manchester who were affected by health inequalities and experiencing racial inequality. Faced by other challenges including language barriers and social isolation, the project was designed to deliver thematic sessions that embedded selfcare, physical movement and fun! Participants enjoyed a range of activities including ball games, air boxing, and active travel to the city art gallery. The group have shared cultural recipes and foods enjoyed since arriving in Manchester leading to the development of hybrid recipes that have been shared with the group. Language skills were woven into the activities that has built confidence in both spoken and written English, further encouraging the women to continue engaging in group outdoor activities. 

The fund also supported dance and exercise classes with women from the Kurdish community, although classes were open to all women from the local community. Based in Mossside Powerhouse, the project engaged with women who wouldn’t usually use public leisure centres, due to cultural restraints, cost, confidence, or lack of childcare. The classes helped women to feel less socially isolated and more confident exercising in public spaces, encouraging further engagement with physical activity. Participants were able to socialise after the class further helping to reduce feelings of isolation and improving mental wellbeing. 

The impact (including cost savings/income generated if applicable)

The projects supported through the community activity fund have highlighted the social impacts of the projects through reduced isolation and increased confidence for the women. Further impacts have been observed through increased motivation for women to continue being physically active, improved mental health and positive lifestyle changes. Family referrals have also been supported through the fund encouraging all family members to participate in activities such as discounted climbing sessions. 

The girls only activities delivered by Team Manchester have highlighted that in addition to engaging girls with football, further training opportunities for female participants have led to volunteer and paid work:

  • 16 girls successfully attained the Whistlers Refereeing programme.
  • 12 girls successfully attained the Go Lead (football leadership programme).
  • Five girls attained ambassador status through training on the Barclays Game Changer programme.

As part of the Primary School Programme delivered by Team Manchester, a total of 510 Girl Sport Leaders were involved in supporting the delivery of the grogramme, supporting them into additional qualifications and training during and post 16 Education.

Junior PARS measure impact of the service through a variety of indicators including height and weight, level of physical activity days, sedentary behaviours, and a wellbeing score (WHO-5). A recent review of the service highlighted that since the start of the year, 25 female clients have participated in a variety of activities and the average physical activity days increased from two and four tenths to four days per week and had improved wellbeing scores. 

How is the new approach being sustained?

Women only projects funded by the community activity fund have helped to bring groups of women together who were socially isolated to now having established friendships and confidence for the women to continue participating in physical activity.

Team Manchester engage young people annually to seek their preferences on what sport and physical activity they wish to take part in year on year and activities are planned accordingly.

Public health team continue to work closely with local organisations to support and encourage delivery of female only activities, reducing barriers and promoting inclusivity. 

Contact

Contact: Louise McErlain, Project Manager Manchester Healthy Weight Strategy

[email protected]