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At EMD UK, we believe group exercise should be for everyone, but for many women – especially Muslim women – challenges to accessing group exercise still exist.

That’s why in 2024 we partnered with Active Together to launch support for women from ethnically diverse communities to become Level 2 Group Exercise Instructors.

The aim was to create a workforce that mirrored the communities it served by driving greater diversity and inclusion within the group exercise sector.

Giving back to their communities

We worked with Active Women, of Leicester City in the Community, to recruit women, to provide local support to build a community amongst the learners and to keep them motivated and engaged.

The goal was to provide a learning and training opportunity for the women that was safe, culturally aware and empowering.

In total, 12 women were enrolled.

They were aged between 25 and 54 and came from global majority communities, including Muslim, Hindu and those of no faith.

The programme offered a fully-funded Level 2 Group Exercise Instructor qualification through Drummond Education.

These women’s beliefs may have been different from each other, but they all brought with them a deep desire to give back to their communities.

Most had wanted to train for years but faced barriers like the costs involved, childcare needs or the lack of local opportunities.

But now they were able to join because the programme was tailored to them and because support was finally available.
 

Confidence levels were moderate to high, but concerns remained as some feared failure and others worried about language, memory or balancing family-related responsibilities. And yet, despite everything, motivation was strong.

Many saw this as a way to serve their communities and especially other Muslim women, which aligned with the principle of Sadaqah: giving back without expecting anything in return.

One participant said she was excited to see how quickly she could pick up the lessons, while another mentioned the timing for her was perfect as she had just finished her master’s degree.

We also spent time asking what support they’d need after qualifying as it’s often at this stage that dropouts are most prevalent.

They asked for help with marketing, setting up classes and accessing venues and equipment.

They also wanted guidance on business development and networking, and this is where the EMD UK membership came into its own.

Along with the newly launched Reach Up programme, in collaboration with This Girl Can, our members also have access to over 400 support resources, CPD training and content to support their group exercise teaching.

Supporting our students beyond the classroom

We also asked what they wanted from us and the training provider as part of their involvement in the programme, and they requested prayer space, female-only sessions and options without music.

They also wanted their dress codes to be respected, local sessions and female tutors.

They reminded us that English wasn’t their first language and asked us to understand their personal circumstances, which were full of family commitments and cultural nuance.

We listened and we’re now committed to continuing that listening as time goes by.

At this point, having commenced in autumn 2024 with four in-person sessions (that was the delivery style they said they needed), nine learners have completed their practical assessment with the remaining finishing the course in 2025.

The successes of this project continue to emerge.

One standout achievement was the attendance of a learner as a presenter on the EMD UK stage at the International Fitness Showcase in Blackpool back in March.

This was her first experience of instructing group exercise and her presentation of Latin-inspired dance fitness for over 100 participants was an impressive debut to kick off her career.

All students now have access to the EMD UK membership and we are committed to supporting them long-term.

Feedback from the cohort on the support given, including its effectiveness and inclusivity, plus on the course as a whole, has been overwhelmingly positive.

They found the programme interesting, engaging, beneficial and welcoming, with the challenge it provided defined as “exciting and aspirational”.

Whilst many of them knew each other before the course started, they left the in-person sessions feeling “connected to each other” and their communities, and proud of themselves.  

What’s more, Active Together reported that the development and engagement of these local women as mentors was imperative to build community confidence in group exercise and that, while funding was critical, it was the community support role of Active Women that ensured this was a success.

Active Women reported this project demonstrated the clear need for these kinds of initiatives to upskill underrepresented communities and to help them continue their mission to “grown [their] own”.

Because this is more than a training programme.

It’s a step toward equity in fitness.

It’s about recognising the whole person.

And it’s about creating space for women who’ve been excluded for too long.

We’re proud to be part of that change and we’re just getting started.
 

For many, the beginning of June is the unofficial start of the summer.

Holidays are on the horizon, Wimbledon and the Tour de France are getting closer and we get to celebrate volunteers in the best week of the year – Volunteers Week!

The latest data from our Active Lives Adult Survey Report shows that almost 10.5 million adults volunteered to support sport and physical activity across the 12-month period from mid-November 2023 to mid-November 2024.

This is an increase of 488,000 over the last 12 months and it shows a continued recovery of volunteering since the pandemic in 2020.

This huge contribution of people’s time, energy and skills in sport and physical activity is really something to celebrate, and everybody in Sport England wants to say a massive thank you to everyone who volunteers to keep the nation active. 

Volunteering not only enables participation opportunities for others, but it significantly boosts the wellbeing of volunteers themselves.

Our research into the social value of sport and physical activity demonstrated that adult volunteering in England is worth £8.2 billion annually in social value and these benefits to wellbeing are in addition to any value that comes from being physically active.

The present of volunteering

The recovery we’re seeing post-pandemic is positive and it demonstrates the resilience of sport volunteering, and that millions of people are still motivated to give their time.

However, there are also some more worrying trends that we need to take note of.

It’s undeniable that the Lionesses’ recent triumphs and the professionalisation of the women’s game, the strong performance of the men’s team and the fact that the number of girls watching and playing football has doubled in recent years, has made the country proud.

We know that the scale of grassroots football in England means that the sport is well positioned to influence people and communities in tackling inequalities in sport and physical activity.

So because of all of these reasons, we thought that our case study with The Football Association (FA) would be a great way to close our series of blogs.

The FA is the National Governing Body for one of the country’s most popular sports and receives significant funding through Sport England’s system partner investment.

I remember exactly where I was when I was first told Sport England was going to invest National Lottery funds into a marketing campaign to help women get active.

“That sounds great!” – I thought – “But we won’t do it. We’re not that type of organisation.”

However, it turns out we did and we were!

We have shown what getting active looks like in reality: the sweat, the jiggles, the puffed-out faces with make-up streaking down the cheeks or with no make-up at all.

And we’ve also shown what real women’s bodies look like by showing cellulite, stomachs, thighs, bad hair days, three-days worn joggers, on our periods, giving birth, going through the menopause or having the audacity to age. How dare we?!

What This Girl Can has taught me 

We have also celebrated the women who don’t give a damn and clamored for change when they told us they didn’t feel safe exercising outside, so we can liberate women from the fear of judgement that stops so many of us taking part.

It’s been a joy and a privilege to run This Girl Can for so long – and I’ve learned a lot along the way, including:

Supporting women is a team sport

This Girl Can succeeded because so many women generously shared their stories, images and lives. We street-cast all of them – finding women getting active without giving a damn – in parks and at parkruns, in the pool, on the pitch and at the gym. But let me tell you, if they thought getting cast in a TV ad was going to be glam, they were wrong – they had to work out before the cameras started shooting and we put the results on giant billboards near their homes. But they did it to support other women, to show their daughters what we look like doesn’t matter and to prove that there is no reason sport should just belong to the boys. If you share a sweaty selfie, go for a walk, run to an exercise class with friends, or let your children see you prioritising your own activity, you are doing the same. Thank you!

Every problem has a solution that is often better than the original plan

This Girl Can was originally called Run/Jump/Throw Like a Girl. We signed off the name and literally the next day, Always released their campaign of the same name and it was brilliant! I sulked for a week but our brilliant creatives came up with This Girl Can. A name which suited our campaign objectives much better – a self-affirming mantra that can get you off the couch, up the hill, into the gym class or past that bunch of lads telling you to go faster.

Collaboration is king (that should probably be ‘queen’)

This Girl Can succeeded because so many partners and supporters got involved changing and shaping what they were doing to meet the needs of women we were engaging with. We haven’t always been the easiest brand to work with – I’ve had to learn to let go and I always wish there was more time – but when I see what universities, schools, national governing bodies, local authorities and active partnerships are doing I'm always blown away. So thank you too! I will always feel old though when someone I’ve just given a job to tells me they remember seeing the campaign in school. 

I can now be quite annoying

I have become one of those people who goes for a run on Christmas Day and I can’t stress enough how unlikely you would find this if you’d known me at school. Or in my twenties. Or thirties. But This Girl Can has changed my relationship with being active. I know that when I’m moving more I’m happier, calmer, more productive and, overall,  better company to be with.This is why – in addition to it being my job at Sport England – I believe so strongly that no woman should be left behind. We all deserve to feel that good. I’m proud that 50% of women recognise the campaign, but until the other 50% do too we’ll keep going.

The future of the campaign: Phase Six

Now, if you think after 10 years we’ve done everything that needed to be done, said everything that needed to be said or moved as much or as far as we needed to get to, you’re wrong my friend!

The next phase of the campaign – Phase Six – will focus on women from under-represented groups with the most to gain from just starting to move and I can’t wait to share the details of what we’re going to do from next month.

So I raise my water bottle as I wish happy birthday to This Girl Can.

Thank you to all my colleagues and to everyone who shared our content, supported us, bought a National Lottery ticket, created opportunities to be active, worked on the campaign or simply put on their trainers and went for a walk.

This Girl Can, because you did.

There’s nothing like seeing the end of the year approaching to reflect on the previous 12 months.

And what a year 2023 has been for This Girl Can, Sport England's campaign focusing on getting women and girls all over the country moving, no matter their ability, shape or size.

When I say this year has been eventful and impactful, it’s no exaggeration. Let me show you what I mean.  

Winter

Last February, we launched This Girl Can With You - our latest campaign across the sector and the foundation for all our work in 2023.

Our research showed that 2.4 million fewer women than men strongly agree they enjoy getting active – we call this ‘the enjoyment gap’ and it matters enormously, because enjoyment is one of the primary drivers of activity.

The following month, we launched our second industry guide, in partnership with ukactive, titled ‘‘How to make your spaces safer for women: A call to action from the 51%’’, to provide practical steps for facilities to help create an environment where women and girls feel safer and more confident being active.

Summer

At the start of the summer, we were determined to help women and girls get the most out of the warmer months with Make Your Summer Move – a PR campaign based on insight that nearly half of women were worried about showing their body while being active in the summer.

So we encouraged women to move in whatever way works for them, sharing tips on ways to help overcome some of the barriers to being active in the summer, plus case studies of amazing women getting active outdoors.

We launched an exciting new partnership with Tesco in July, with the release of an exclusive This Girl Can activewear range under the retailer’s in-house clothing brand F&F.

The partnership aimed to inspire women to enjoy an active life by providing a stylish and affordable clothing line, plus advice and opportunities to motivate them to start moving.

We also partnered with period care brand Bodyform to launch a period hub on the Studio You platform.

According to Youth Sport Trust, periods are the number one barrier to girls doing more sport and physical activity at school, so it was fitting to launch the first phase of the partnership with a television ad during the Women’s Euros using the tag line ‘no blood should hold us back’.

Autumn

In October, we hosted a parliamentary roundtable discussion on women’s safety when being active outdoors, to coincide with the clocks going back and the hours of darkness increasing, as 46% of women say they change their outdoor exercise routine due to less daylight during the autumn and winter months.

We brought together parliamentarians, advocates, academics and representatives from across the sport and physical activity sector to consider what can be done to create safer spaces for women whilst being active outdoors, as well as addressing the barriers to change.

But that wasn't all.

We also rallied women in a 5km run around Westminster and central London as part of our Let’s Lift the Curfew PR activation, to amplify women’s voices on how they feel about being active outdoors during the darker months and to highlight that many women feel restricted by a perceived ‘curfew’ when it starts to get dark. 

As you can see, it’s been a busy year!

We look forward to continuing to work with our partners throughout 2024 to keep closing the enjoyment gap by ensuring sport and physical activity is social, suitable, self-affirming and safe for all women, and, as ever, sharing the amazing and inspiring stories and experiences of women being active.
 

Wrestling has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years, with females making their mark and shattering stereotypes.

This development not only showcases the empowerment of women but it also offers a striking link to inter faith unity.

Because in a world marked by religious diversity and cultural differences, female wrestlers serve as powerful role models demonstrating that strength, resilience and shared passion can bridge the gaps of faith and belief.

Historically, wrestling was perceived as a male-dominated sport but this narrative has changed dramatically nowadays.

British Wrestling has made a commitment to working with clubs on a grassroots level to aid the shift and bring wrestling to a whole new demographic.

The Legacy Project

The formation in 2022 of The Legacy Project gave coaches and clubs the resources necessary to support and develop female wrestling in many communities across the country.

Delving into these disenfranchised groups allowed British Wrestling to see what we could do to better engage and make the sport more accessible to everyone, particularly those from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

Wrestling has strong ties to both culture and religion for many people from these communities, so projects like ours have created a space for people to connect not only with each other but also with themselves and their identities.
 

Working for the future generations

One of the pioneers for our project is Impact Fitness Academy's very own Coach Haniyah.

Her journey started as a volunteer but she later grew to be a core member of the team, spearheading the fierce female programme in Birmingham, taking on the role of the head coach and even expanding to help set up projects in other areas.

Another name to look out for is Coach Whabna. She is part of Bahja Initiative, an Islamic faith centre aiming to bring about a positive change in the Lancashire community of Accrington, by including wrestling as part of their mosque curriculum, making it easily accessible.

They have 75 girls participating on a weekly basis.

She is a true role model, working hard to help young girls from a range of ages and reaching some of the most deprived areas in the UK, with Accrington being ranked in the bottom 2% of neighbourhoods based on multiple deprivations. 

It's clear that wrestling permeates multiple areas of life and that it’s not just limited to the sporting sphere, but has the potential to penetrate religion also, evidenced by the incredibly successful Bahja Initiative.

So, with further exposure to wrestling for the general public by the work done by British Wrestling and The Legacy Project, we can squash these barriers and move towards a future where wrestling has a place in the lives of all.
 

Recently, we at Women in Sport have been exploring the devastating statistics from Sport England's latest Active Lives' Surveys around black girls’ participation in and enjoyment of sport.

These numbers paint a depressing picture, as only 36% of black girls in England are meeting recommended activity levels, compared to 48% of white girls, and in the past five years the number of black girls saying they enjoyed taking part in sport and physical activity has plummeted from 50% to 39%.

This sudden and worrying decline in enjoyment amongst black girls is heart-breaking because for me, sport has been a real joy and backdrop to my life for as long as I can remember. 

I looked for sport opportunities but I found sprinters were a rare breed and I didn’t feel like putting myself forward to be selected for the team sports as I was concerned I wouldn’t fit in.

I wonder how this experience might have been for my brothers - would they have felt so alienated? Or would the men's team sports have naturally swept them up as potential talent? I’ll never know.

But in my case, I was limited to gym-based activities and my motivation and passion started ebbing away.

During this challenging time I missed the sisterhood and the support network it provided – something that I now value deeply.

Thankfully, after university and several years away from sport, I decided to dip back into athletics and the feelings I had long missed just came flooding back.

Once again, I thrived on the sense of belonging, the socialising, the motivation, and the familiarity of those around me, plus the cold and rainy winter training sessions, which I can’t say I missed but were definitely character-building and a source of camaraderie.

Funnily enough, I remember telling my first athletics coach that I wasn’t sure how long I wanted to train for but then it went from a hobby to a habit of a lifetime.

Helping me to keep the joy

All my coaches have been supportive and empathetic as I navigated life as a teenager through to adulthood with various challenges, experiences and responsibilities along the way.

Struggling to balance their lives with being active is often a challenge for girls and why it is so important to ensure they have the right guidance and support to embrace activity and experience the joy that I have.  

Being an athlete is a lifestyle which requires time, energy and commitment, but it has taught me discipline and focus, and how to overcome failure and build resilience.

Through all of this I’ve learned to enjoy the journey and it’s formed a big part of my identity.

I have had the opportunity to travel and work with fantastic coaches, therapists and athletes representing my club and county, running at national competitions and in recent years, as a GB Masters athlete.

The opportunities are vast and that’s why no girl should ever be made to feel excluded.

I’m fortunate that my training environment has always been diverse and open to all, embracing people from all walks of life and abilities. My safe space.

But I know it isn’t that way for everyone.

Far too many women still face discrimination and negativity in sporting settings and this must change.

Sport has allowed me to celebrate some of the greatest achievements of my life and seeing so many inspiring and influential black women in sport and their contributions is empowering and shows what we are capable of.

And while Black history may seem like a thing of the past to some, it lives through us every day as the past connects the present and future.

It is important to recognise that all women need a voice and a chance to be represented by someone who looks like them - and Black History Month helps by providing a platform and celebrate these women.

I am truly fortunate to be surrounded by many beautiful and brilliant black women and I salute my sisters by celebrating our community.
 

Nobody should grow up thinking there’s something they can’t do. So why do girls in this country still think football can’t be for them?

Fair enough if you are a girl and you don’t like it. You may prefer another sport, or you may not like sport at all. And that’s absolutely fine, of course.

But what I hate to think is that there are girls out there who’d like to play football and don’t feel safe doing it. Or even worse, never thought they could even try!

That’s exactly why we created Squad Girls’ Football – to give girls aged 12-14 the chance to try football in a safe environment, where they feel free from judgement and pressure and where having fun (and not the score or her personal performance) is key.

More than football

We first launched the Squad Girls’ Football programme as part of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 tournament with 250 providers.

The idea is for girls to turn up and participate in the activities they choose. Always having a range of different fun games on offer during a session negates the worry that they may have to take part in something they don’t wish to.

What’s more, all the activities at Squad Girls’ Football sessions are designed to meet their needs and help develop core skills both on and off the pitch, such as building confidence.

Launching the programme after the England Senior Women’s team had won the UEFA Women’s EURO tournament meant we were targeting an audience that was incredibly excited about women’s and girls’ football.

The success of the tournament and the timing of the launch enabled the programme to thrive in the momentum of the team.

Those women provided the inspiration for many girls to start playing, but beyond that – they became true role models for a generation that is increasingly willing to try the game. And yet, the beauty of the programme goes beyond that.

We all know that in teenage years, friends become family and the importance of peers in their everyday lives’ skyrockets.

So, it’s great to see girls already enjoying the space that Squad Girls’ Football provides amd encouraging others to take part.

They support and cheer each other on during the sessions, offering another opportunity for them to see their friends, bond over a shared interest and spend valuable time together.

I also love to hear mums and dads proudly highlighting how their daughters have become more confident and resilient as a result of joining our sessions.

They’re learning valuable new skills and it’s clear to see that they love developing their abilities.

They like the structure and the social element of the programme (they can come with friends or meet new people there), they also thrive by having their voices heard and by the autonomy encouraged in each session.

Big kudos to our coaches and volunteers for being key in creating and promoting that environment.

Currently, this workforce is predominantly male, but all coaches and volunteers are trained to understand and help the girls, focusing on the specific challenges of the early teenage years, like the discomfort caused by periods while exercising.

What we want is to normalise that feeling by providing sanitary products and actively listening, so the girls feel safe to keep playing in the way they feel most comfortable.

But how do we get girls into the programme in the first place? There are different ways in which girls get to our Squad Girls’ Football programme - some come from our Weetabix Wildcats programme, others from our curriculum and extra-curriculum programmes within schools.

Some used to play but stopped because of the pandemic and some just want to try something new.

What we want for the future

Now, with the visibility provided by the FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer, we want to focus on those who’ve never played before.

The support from our partners is fundamental and Sport England has been key along the way - but the hard work doesn’t stop here.

We want to keep learning about what motivates girls around the country and what they like and need so we can get them to enjoy the sport as a way of getting healthier and happier.

We’re joining the 'party atmosphere' that big sports events can provide by supporting FIFA World Cup viewing parties nationwide, so people get together to watch the games and play.

Once again, it’s all about creating an environment where girls enjoy the sport as an element of their everyday lives, where they can have fun and are given the opportunity to get involved in football in a way that suits them.

Launching This Girl Can With You last week was a brilliant opportunity for me to do one of my favourite things: talking on the radio.

This time, however, I was slightly shamefaced, extolling all the benefits of getting active, telling women the hardest step was the first one, and to not give a flying fig what anyone else thought.

But I haven’t taken my own advice since well before Christmas. Work, and life, got busy; the weather cold and I lost motivation. An attempted reboot in January failed, and the least said about February, the better.

I decided 1 March would be my begin-again day, something that’s often harder than starting out – so much emotional baggage!

But the chat we had at the last Women’s Network meeting -  our organisation's staff network for women that meets once a month to provide a safe space to discuss any topics of interest - gave me that final, encouraging push into my trainers.

It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a community to get me active – and we know from our research that I’m not alone.

So today I Invite you to read the stories of some of the amazing women I’m lucky enough to work with and be encouraged by:
 

Working at Sport England, it’s easy to forget that many of us may face the same barriers as our target audiences.

That, like Garnet, we need to find what works for us. Remind ourselves, like Cat did, that no matter our health history, we belong in a gym, in sport, in being active; and, like for Alex, exercises buddies may be exactly what we need to stay active at one point in our lives.

No matter who you are or what/why you do it, share your stories and struggles with other women, so we help each other get active and close our enjoyment gaps.  
 

Wanting to change that perception, I stood against these barriers and focussed on helping fight health inequalities for the other women around me. 

This is when I came across the Dream Big programme, so I started as a volunteer supporting other women lead cricket sessions for the local community. Now in my role, I have been fortunate to be a part of leading the change within the national organisation and bringing even more women into Dream Big.

Challenges and key learnings

Dream Big Desi Women has been a hugely successful initiative, but it is even more powerful considering the two years of disruption and uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is also set against a wider landscape of falling volunteer numbers within sport and physical activity, with over 3 million fewer volunteers giving their time in November 2020-21 than during the previous 12 months.

Recent data shows that volunteers remain under-pressure and at risk of burnout, so what has made Dream Big so inspiring for women to get involved?

A defining moment for me in the programme was the design and creation of hijabs and modest apparel for volunteers.

Having designed a modest fitness wear line previously, I knew the value this brings.

This addition helped to not only broaden the reach of the programme, but also to increase its inclusivity and create a new sense of belonging for volunteers within the game.

Insight shows the experience of volunteering is key, so it’s important to create a volunteering journey that is accessible.

By adapting the training and its environment, and by providing opportunities for development, volunteers can be motivated to come back and spread the news about the programme.

This then allows this volunteer opportunity to become community-led and an engine for positive social change.

The three key lessons from the programme for me have been:

1. Understanding the true value behind listening and implementing change. Taking the time to understand the barriers, challenges and initiatives that volunteers want to see will help you reach more people.
    
2. Adapt, adapt and adapt! Never stop innovating, and don’t be afraid to try something new. For instance: modest apparel, virtual coffee mornings and training events and festivals celebrating the diversity of your volunteer base.
    
3. Celebrate your volunteers – reward and recognition has been the key tenet behind the success of keeping our volunteers engaged in the game. 

Dream Big is a great example of the work Sport England is doing in its partnership with Vision for Volunteering - a movement of volunteer-involving organisations and volunteers, working together to create and support amazing volunteer experiences.

So all I can say is here's to many more years or working together and making each other - and those around us - better.  
 

But it’s not just about medals. Impact is a space for everyone, regardless of ability.

Community is so important for us. We help teach kids ideas of respect and discipline from a young age.

By providing this safe and inclusive space for them, we ensure they’re on the right track to live active, healthy and safe lives in the future.

Children have come in with little-to-no experience and we’ve trained and nurtured them, to the point where we see them competing and winning medals while being good and respectful human beings. It’s so inspiring to see. 

The biggest success for us is that all these sporting achievements are from children, young people and adults from culturally diverse groups and communities living in inner-city wards of Birmingham who don’t have the same opportunities as many other people.

There are lots of barriers in their way and they face inequality on a daily basis. 

For example, Arslan Shah is a 24-year-old member at Impact Fitness that lives with spina bifida and we've worked with him to provide the best possible environment for him to practise and grow as a person.

"The coaches have helped me overcome my disability and I can match up with pretty much anyone else," he told me recently. "Everyone has really helped me a lot. It’s helped me with my confidence, my self-esteem and so much more. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done."

Adapting and growing

Even during the lockdown, we didn't stop supporting our students. All our programmes were transferred online, with lessons taught six times a week from coach Farid’s living room, focusing on the student’s mental and physical capabilities.

A challenging time like this meant students needed an outlet more than ever, and this ensured they stayed focused. 

The training and discipline of wrestling and martial arts helps them develop as healthy young people and encourages a positive mental attitude that will help them to get the best out of themselves.

Our programmes focus on being active, healthy, developing skills, as well as confidence, resilience and determination. 

We prepare our students for greatness, by supporting them to fall in love with sports and getting active. Helping them to express themselves and their emotions through sport means their lives are being transformed.

As they increase their fitness and skills, and begin seeing what they are capable of, they start believing in themselves. 

Our impact is also going far beyond just our central space and aims to reach people in different communities across the West Midlands.

Impact work with children in schools and after-school clubs to help tackle obesity rates, while making wrestling more accessible and fun.

These programmes take place in youth centres and wellbeing centres too, tackling antisocial behaviour in those often hardest to reach. 

With the extra funding from Sport England, we are investing in our facility and the ways we can help children and young people in Birmingham. 

We have a few punching bags and some mats already – but with the funding, we have been able to complete some building refurbishments, purchased wrestling mats and weight training equipment to help develop the children's strength and conditioning abilities.

We’ve also purchased a boxing ring for the young people to get a better feel of what it’s like to be in the boxing ring. 

Without investment from people like Sport England, groups like us wouldn’t be able to expand, offer more classes and reach even more people in our community.