Leicester-Shire & Rutland ladies ‘hot and not bothered’ at ‘This Girl Can’ Charity Night Out!

Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport in support of local charity LOROS, hosted a 'This Girl Can' Charity Night Out on Friday 11th March 2016, at Brockington College in Enderby.

Over 250 women from across Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland attended the event, which involved 10 exercise taster sessions including Zumba, Legs, Bums & Tums, Insanity, Yoga, Hula Hooping, CrossFit and Pilates. Local instructors gave up their time to deliver the sessions for free and provide exit route opportunities for the women, interested in the sessions they took part in.

The ladies were also able to challenge themselves, and each other, at mini-activities in the Challenge Zone, in sports such as Netball, Golf, Athletics, Cricket and Table Tennis, ran by the local National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs).

As the women started to work up a sweat in the taster sessions, they had the option to visit the Health/Beauty and Information Stalls, treating themselves to a range of products including skincare, jewellery, candles and active clothing. South Leicestershire College brought along a group of students who provided nail treatments, hand massages and plaits/straightening/curling.

At the end of the evening was the unbelievable sight of a mass Clubbercise! The ladies danced the night away in a darkened room with disco lights and glow sticks, to the fitness class that felt more like a night out than a workout!

Overall the night raised £979 for LOROS, who have been Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport's Charity of the Year for 2015/16.

The aim of the night was to celebrate and encourage women being active. A poll undertaken on the night showed that 70% of those asked did not meet the Chief Medical Office (CMO) guidelines of 150 minutes of physical activity per week. It is hoped that the event and the 'This Girl Can' campaign has inspired the women to continue taking part in some form of physical activity proving that These Girls Can!

The event has received a fantastic response on the Leicester-Shire & Rutland: This Girl Can Facebook page with attendee Sarah Valentine saying "I had so much fun; I can't believe I was burning calories too! I cannot wait to see the photographs of everyone having a great time – you can't beat a sweaty red-faced smiley photo!"

Victoria Knight posted a picture on Facebook of the 720 calories she burnt on her fitness app during the event and said "It was so much fun, and look how many calories I burnt!"

Supporting the event were the local This Girl Can Champions:

• Natasha Mina – Local WISPA Project (Women in Sport and Physical Activity) participant, re-motivated to get back into sport and physical activity.
• Kim Angell – local Running Activator, establishing and supporting over 30 local Beginner Running Groups.
• Maryam Amatullah – local Cycling Instructor, Breeze Champion and Rider Leader for British Cycling. Maryam is very passionate about voicing the need for provision for women, especially in the Asian community.
• Hannah Walsh – has competed in Cross Country and Triple Jump, now Hannah works out regularly.
• Jennifer Pollock – Jennifer has autism and a language disorder which has made socialising difficult for her, but she doesn't let this hold her back, playing and coaching Hockey regularly.

'This Girl Can' is a celebration of the active women who are doing their thing no matter how they do it, how they look, or even how sweaty they get.

Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport are advocating a local 'This Girl Can' campaign with the aim to encourage and increase female participation in physical activity and sport.

Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport will once again be running a 'This Girl Can' Week, 6^th-12^th June 2016 – a week long campaign of activities and sessions across Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland.

Special thanks go to Brockington College, South Leicestershire College Hair/Beauty students, all the instuctors who gave up their time, Lisa Hatch (Forever Living), Svetlana Pamar (Arbonne), Michelle Kind (Tropic natural skincare), Rakhi Lakhani (Mango Passion Jewellery), Natalie Gray (Partylite candles and accessories) and Jessica Mor (My 3^rd Rock).