Cheshire West and Chester workshop to focus on supporting our women and girls to be more active

How to support women and girls to join in sports or physical activity was the topic of a workshop in Winsford on Monday, 25 September.

The event took place at Winsford Lifestyle Centre from 10.30am to 1pm and will feature speakers from grass roots sport, as well as health, education and leisure professionals.

Cllr Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, will introduce the session.

She said:

“We have seen great achievements in British women’s netball and football this summer, showing how important it is to give women and girls the right support and opportunities to get involved.

“In Cheshire West and Chester, women and girls are less physically active than their male counterparts overall, and four in 10 women are not active enough to get the full health benefits.

“However, when asked, 13 million women across the UK said they would like to do more sport and physical activity.

“At the workshop, on Monday, 25 September, we can discuss the barriers – including lack of access to activities that interest them, not feeling safe, feeling watched or intimidated or just not having the right changing facilities available.”

Anna Ledward, from Misfit Training, is a personal trainer for females, based at a private home gym in Cuddington. She outlined why it was important for women and girls to join in sports and physical activity:

“The changes I see in ladies that come to their PT sessions with me and also exercise in their own time is that they have more of a positive outlook,” she said.

“Their confidence increases – they’re more outgoing – their fitness levels increase, therefore they have higher energy levels and also it improves their mental health reducing anxiety and depression.”

The workshop, called ‘Supporting our women and girls to be more active – getting the basics right’, will be of particular interest to education colleagues, sports clubs, leisure providers, health professionals and professionals supporting women and girls.

It aims to be an informative, engaging, inspirational and productive session to the start the conversation about the issue.

Pictured - Anna Ledward, a personal trainer from Cuddington.