Let’s Get Out There event on making movement outdoors more accessible for women and girls

Delegates from local authorities, sports clubs, national parks and wildlife trusts joined Active Sussex to explore the barriers and solutions around women accessing outside space to get active.

The Community of Learning event took place on Monday, July 7 at the Sussex Innovation Centre in Falmer, and was centred around the latest phase of the This Girl Can (TGC) campaign – Let’s Get Out There.

The idea is to address the barriers for women and girls being active outdoors, especially for those women on lower incomes from underrepresented groups – including Black women, Asian Muslim women, pregnant women, new mothers and older women.

Attendees heard from Gemma Finlay-Gray, Strategic Relationship Manager at Active Sussex, around the TGC Belonging Starts with Inclusion insight report and Let’s Get Out There campaign resources, including cultural guidance and understanding toolkit. She highlighted stark figures which showed only 11% of women feel they completely belong in the world of exercise and are less likely than men to take part in outdoor activities, with Black women and Asian Muslim women least likely to be taking part.

Local examples of best practice were shared, including Tess Agnew and Lucy Chadburn who shared their work in creating a friendly and supportive riding group for girls, non-binary and trans teens through the Brighton & Hove Girls Mountain Bike Network. 

And Amanda Silva Gonzalez from Diversity Resource International talked about walks for women from ethnically diverse and migrant communities. They found that walking in nature as part of a group brought about a noticeable shift in participants’ wellbeing and mental health, with many expressing feeling safer and more confident exploring the countryside and getting active.

There were also videos from Kelly Smith of Black Tri Tribe, and from Semeena Khan, founder of Sudhan Welfare Society, Crawley Run Crew and the Muslim Runners Community Lead for Active Inclusion Network.

Delegates then formed break-out groups to share their own experiences and perspectives, before a networking walk and talk to end the session.

Gemma Finlay-Gray, Strategic Relationship Manager at Active Sussex, said: “It was incredibly powerful to see so many passionate people from a range of sectors come together – keen to learn how to make outdoor spaces more inclusive and welcoming for women and girls. By listening to the voices of women in our communities and sharing what works, we’re building a movement that celebrates belonging and breaks down the barriers to getting active in nature.”

Find out more about the This Girl Can campaign in Sussex and access resources from the session, here.