Through our work with community groups and inactive women and girls Tees Valley Sport have linked up with Halo. This organisation works to support some of the most vulnerable women in our society. With our support Halo have used physical activity and sport to promote personal resilience and wellbeing.
Aysha’s story unfolds from her involvement in a 15 week long running programme which was established through our joint work. A group of women were supported from absolute inactivity and fear of being active in an open environment to participation in a regular 3 mile run and integration into community running groups.
“I’ve seen in my own eyes how my mother has lived her life, but she won’t and does not know how to change – she sees no different. This programme has helped me open my eyes even more and made me appreciate my health, importance of my emotional wellbeing leading to helping me understand what I want from my future”
Tees Valley Sport began working with Halo in 2016 through the ‘Boro Girls Can’ Project in which 10 ladies who had never previously been able to prioritise or contemplate physical activity were engaged in a supported walking and running programme which was linked to a local female running leader. By offering empathy, encouragement and support these inactive women progressed to being regular participants.
The outcomes were multiple and personal to each individual. Aysha’s experiences capture the power of the programme.
- At 45 years old in a new area, with no family and friends, no employment and diagnosed as suffering depression, Aysha felt her life was over. She felt her prescribed medication and counselling were not making a difference.
- Through informal social referral, Aysha accessed Halo’s programmes and signed up for the walking and running activity group.
- Aysha believes this has completely transformed her life. The walking has improved her levels of fitness, introduced her to friends with comparable backgrounds and given her confidence to challenge her comfort zones. She now feels integrated to the local community and has a social network of people who are able to empathise with her experiences.
Additional Information:
Tees Valley Sport and Halo have continued to work together and have built on the success of this programme. Halo have been supported in accessing £6000 of funding from Tees Valley Community Foundation. With this they will run a programme of four different activities targeting isolated and vulnerable women. The funding also has a heavy focus on developing the staff from Halo and the vulnerable women to become coaches and leaders so to provide a workforce to make the project sustainable beyond the funding.
Find Out More:
We are keen to support other non-traditional sport organisations access funding and implement physical activity and sport programmes as part of their services. To find out more please contact Victoria Auton on 01642 342287 / v.auton@tees.ac.uk