Jane

Introduction

I hated PE when I was at school. I’d hide in the toilets, standing on the toilet seat so the teacher couldn’t see my feet when they looked for me. 

Then I discovered exercise I LOVE….and discovered the self-belief, confidence and endorphins that comes with it, and now I love taking women on the same journey. 

I trained in Personal Training at the University of Bath, and set up JumpStart as a Community Interest Company helping families who live in five tower blocks across Bristol get fit and active. I believe those who can’t afford exercise need it more than those who can. 

I work with families who live in tower blocks, running fitness and nutrition projects to help them get fit and active right outside the flats where they live. Each week a team of JumpStart volunteers visit 5 tower blocks, playing fun games with the kids and cooking a healthy, nutritious meal which we eat together as we chat and meet our neighbours, creating happier, safer communities.

In the school holidays this extends to activity clubs, partnering with organisations across the city to help children who have free school meals keep fit and healthy during the holidays. I also work with 4 inner-city doctors surgeries, prescribing exercise to their patients to help boost their physical and mental health, reduce medication and appointments. 

Importance of Health and Activity

The Chief Medical Officer stated (DoH, 2009), “The benefits of physical activity surpass that of any other drug or medical treatment for health, wellbeing, longevity and protection from serious illness for people of all ages.” But support for, and investment in, physical activity – and therefore health – has historically been unevenly distributed across the population. As a result, people from lower socioeconomic groups who live in deprived areas are under-served, their physical activity needs and opportunities neglected.

When Petal went to her doctor, she was in a bad place with her physical and mental health: she was signed off sick with stress from a job which was permanent night shifts, but now she felt really down and isolated – in an effort to feel better she’d signed up to her local gym, but didn’t have it in her to go, and now she felt even worse. Her doctor referred her to me as a Physical Activities social prescriber and I called Petal to have a chat. She told me her story, then I talked her through the various activities we offer and she chose our Chatty Couch to 5K group, run by a lady who, herself used running to help overcome crippling anxiety. Every Sunday afternoon Petal meets with 5 other ladies to chat, walk and jog. Come rain or shine they motivate each other. The group boosted Petal’s confidence to the point where she has now got another job, and sends selfies of her gym workouts! She even plans to run the Bristol Half Marathon. Fitness has literally turned Petal’s life around

Importance of Opportunities for Women and Girls

Women and girls have unique life challenges in terms of confidence – both internal and body confidence – and this shifts throughout her life stages. An unconfident woman will doubt herself in every area of her life, not get involved, “hold the coats”. Give her confidence in her body and she will fly – both in sport and in her life. Giving her the opportunity to make this happen is everything

What specific barriers do women and girls face in accessing physical activities?

Time: we interviewed kids at our Lawrence Hill project about what their parents do for sport. “Dad plays football once a week. Mum looks after us in the day, then when we go to bed, she goes out to work”.  We started a womens’ exercise group at Lawrence Hill Drs surgery and they were SO excited to exercise for the first time….but if there was an inset day, or a child was ill, they were the first to have to drop everything and provide the childcare.

The Role of Community and Support

Women are sociable – they would rather meet with a friend to join an exercise group, than walk in the door by themselves for the first time. They would rather walk or run with a friend than on their own. 

My Physical Activity Social Prescribing role has enabled over 1,500 patients to access creative activities to get fit, boost their mental health and make friends, from paddleboarding to wild swimming, wheelchair fencing and tai chi, we have something for everyone and it’s all free