EmpowHER: Be Well’s women-only takeover at Tiller Leisure Centre
A day of free and fun activities for women was held at Tiller Leisure Centre on the Isle of Dogs on 9 November, as part of a drive to empower women and girls in the borough to engage in fitness, health, and wellbeing activities.
Over 150 women took part in the ‘takeover’ day, organised by Be Well, Tower Hamlets Council’s Leisure Service, which included boxercise and self-defence classes, as well as pool inflatables and swim clinics to help strengthen swimming abilities.
Local women’s groups, including Shadwell Women’s Group, took part in the day, with the all-female staffed Tiller Leisure Centre also offering a pop-up creche and access to wellbeing advice from Tower Hamlets Talking Therapies.
Fetuma Hassan, Tower Hamlets Young Mayor, officiated the event and said:
“Remaining active isn’t just a way of building lifelong habits for physical wellbeing but it’s also a space for young women to find a community, make friends, reduce stress and improve mental health.
“By creating spaces for women, we can build a foundation for a healthier, more resilient community.”
Cllr Maium Talukdar, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Youth and Lifelong Learning said:
“Connecting residents to health and wellbeing services is vital for building a thriving community.
“In our borough, where health disparities persist, residents live unusually long amounts of their life in poor health – especially women who are more likely to be inactive and therefore have shorter life expectancy.
“The Mayor, with support from the council’s Public Health team, has made it a priority to close the health inequality gap through physical activity.
“When residents have access to the right support, without barriers, they’re empowered to make healthier choices and improve their quality of life.”
Cllr Kamrul Hussain, Cabinet Member for Culture and Recreation said:
“Be Well’s vision is to create a community where women and girls have access to inclusive leisure services and reduce the barriers that were encountered previously.
“The council is committed to investing in its leisure offer to support healthier lifestyles and create spaces and initiatives that encourage greater participation from women.
“In July, Be Well launched a free swimming programme for women and girls in the borough, as well as for men over 55, breaking down barriers to health and fitness and creating more accessible opportunities.”
“We expanded our offerings in October with free swimming clinics for women and girls to build confidence and strengthen swimming skills, supporting a lifelong skill of safety in the water.”
“As well as supporting wellness journeys, these initiatives address a critical need – only half of individuals from ethnically diverse backgrounds can swim 25 metres, and women of all ethnicities are even less likely to meet
