Funding boost for Liverpool women

Women in Liverpool are to benefit from a £2500 grant from housing association Riverside to encourage them to get active.

The Women Get Active programme, which will be delivered by the Liverpool Sport and Physical Activity Alliance, is targeting women from deprived communities and women with children under the age of 16.

The three year project will engage with 3400 women throughout Speke, Garston, Belle Vale, Everton, Kirkdale, Anfield, Clubmoor, Norris Green and Dovecot.

Stephen Chapman, Riverside’s springboard team leader, said: “Women Get Active is one of a number of community projects Riverside supports in a bid to transform lives and revitalise neighbourhoods.

“We are committed to getting more people into regular exercise because it is not only good for their physical health but also their mental wellbeing and self-confidence.

“The project also aims to identify women interested in pursuing a career in sport and leisure and gives participants the opportunity to gain sports related qualifications and go on to paid employment.”

Linda Mooney, principle community and social inclusion manager for Liverpool City Council, said: “Women from disadvantaged neighbourhoods are faced with many challenges, not least budget constraints, which prevent them from being active enough to stay healthy. Sport can also slip down the list of priorities for women with childcare commitments as it can be difficult to find any time for themselves. This project aims to help women overcome these challenges and make sport accessible.”

Riverside’s donation will be used for facility hire for training course, to purchase equipment such as boxing gloves and basketballs and to fund qualifications.

Women’s Sport Activators will also be recruited to work closely with potential participants on a one-to-one and group basis to understand and address barriers and motivations to participation.