Portsmouth City Council has won an ‘Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Heroes Award‘ at the Hampshire FA Grassroots Football Awards 2024, for the football sessions they run as part of their Cross-Cultural Women’s Group.
The Cross-Cultural Women’s Group provides a vital space for non-English-speaking women to connect with their local community, learn English, and take part in a range of physical activities, including the walking football sessions supported by Hampshire FA.
The award was presented jointly to the Cross-Cultural Women’s Group and Rowshonara Reza, Community Development Officer with the council’s Independence and Wellbeing team.
Our Independence and Wellbeing team has been running its Cross-Cultural Women’s Group for many years, and Rowshonara has facilitated the group since 2022. Rowshonara is inspired by her own experiences to find sporting activities for the group, as she was not always encouraged to take part in sports and other activities as a child.
She says: “The key is giving women an informal, relaxed, safe space where they can drop in with their children who are under school age, learn, try new activities, and make friends. Being surrounded by other women who are also facing difficulties gives women the chance to talk about their feelings and build a network of support. We have women who have no English language skills yet can communicate and understand one another.”
Our Independence and Wellbeing team works with local residents to set up social groups and activities with the aim of reducing social isolation, loneliness and supporting physical and mental health. The team then trains up attendees as volunteer facilitators who can help run the sessions and eventually develop the group to become a community-led resource. Shama Parveen is a volunteer facilitator with the Cross-Cultural Women’s Group and has been trained up by Hampshire FA as the football coach for the group.
Shama says: “The sessions are a great way for women to be active and come out of their comfort zones. Not only do the sessions allow them to learn a new skill, but they also help build confidence in their abilities while supporting each other.
The best part is that there is no age limit, so women of all ages can participate and have fun together. This is a great platform for ladies who are unable to take time out of their busy lives to prioritise their wellbeing and engage in a fun, healthy sport. They are always eagerly waiting for the next session to arrive.”
Alienor Chartier, Community Engagement and Inclusion Officer, and Jordan Bradshaw, Female Recreational Football Development Officer, at Hampshire FA, said:
“The weekly football sessions with Portsmouth’s Cross-Cultural Women’s Group are part of a wider programme that Hampshire has developed called ‘Walk, Talk & Play’ where we introduce walking football to women-led community groups across Hampshire. After running successfully for seven weeks, the Portsmouth session has come to an end, and we’re now delivering the same programme to a group of Nepalese women in Aldershot.
Together we worked behind the scenes with Rowshonara to get the sessions up and running, took care of ordering all the Nike equipment, created a session guide, and upskilled Shama as the casual coach for the session.
We’ve really enjoyed seeing the participants’ confidence grow after each session and getting them involved in a type of activity that was new to most of them. Seeing Shama, our casual coach, growing into her role was also a highlight.
There’s a health benefit to taking part in the session as it shows that exercising can be fun and accessible to everyone. It also gives the participants an opportunity to make new friends and challenge themselves by stepping out of their comfort zones in a safe and welcoming environment, things that are really good for their social and mental health!”
Cllr Matthew Winnington, Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing, Health and Care, said:
“It’s great to see Rowshonara and the Cross-Cultural Women’s Group recognised for the vital service they provide, to help support these women to connect with their community, learn English and grow in confidence.”
If you would like to support the work of the Cross-Cultural Women’s Group, you can get in touch with the Independence and Wellbeing team at iwt@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call on 023 9284 1762.
You can find out more about social activities and groups for adults in Portsmouth or contact the Independence and Wellbeing team at the details above for more information.