To celebrate International Women’s Day earlier this month, This Girl Can Essex ambassadors came forward to host free sessions to women and girls across the county, for one big Women Like Us festival! Supporting This Girl Can’s national focus, each session was delivered in a non-judgemental, fun and friendly environment, empowering women of all ages and abilities to move in their way and try something new!
A wide range of classes were offered, giving women the chance to try new activities, which included post-natal Pilates, open-water swimming, yoga, walking groups, Zumba dance, drumming and singing, and so much more!
One of our ambassadors offered two walking groups around the villages, town and countryside of the Saffron Walden area during the festival week. Alison told us: “I really wanted to support, honour and recognise International Women’s Day, and the Women Like Us festival enabled this for me. All ten ladies that came along were determined, chatting, laughing and having fun the whole time as we braved the snowy weather! Our pink ‘Women Like Us’ tops were proudly worn! I feel proud to be part of This Girl Can Essex, because I have been inspired, motivated and kindly supported to achieve something that I was initially apprehensive to undertake.”
This year’s week-long festival was made possible by the Federation of Essex Women’s Institutes, who were thrilled to support the event, with women and girls being at the core value of their achievements and campaigns.
Although snowstorms and rain engulfed Essex the week of the festival, over 120 women and girls signed up to attend one or more sessions, and the festival itself reached local news and press.
Last held in 2021, the Women Like Us festivals went down a storm, although it was during the pandemic, women and girls joined in different online sessions, ran by This Girl Can Essex ambassadors, from the comfort of their own home.
Another ambassador offered a drumming, singing and movement class in Harwich, allowing women to experience rhythm in their body and move to the beat. Louise told us: “Celebrating and empowering women is so important to me and bringing together women in my local community to drum was such a perfect way to mark the day. For the festival we held a special 2-hour session of Harwich Drum Women; a judgement free, safe space for women to express themselves freely. It’s community and connection with like hearted women, a social space to grab a cuppa and see a friendly face, and a support for women in using their voices, connecting to their bodies and improving their confidence, something we can’t have enough of.”
Moving forward, This Girl Can Essex are looking to refresh their campaign and invite new ambassadors to support physical activity amongst females across the county. Also, supporting the next phase of the national This Girl Can campaign by challenging the practical and structural obstacles that make physical activity feel less welcoming for women, and making activity more safe, social, self-affirming and suitable.
Stay tuned for the next phase of This Girl Can Essex next month, and read more about their campaign here: https://www.activeessex.org/find-your-active/this-girl-can-essex/
