WEWN Secures £7,551 from Sport England to Launch Women-Only Swimming Programmes.

Women Empowerment and Wellness Network CIC (WEWN) is delighted to announce that it has been awarded £7,551 from Sport England to deliver Waves of Resilience, a women-only swimming programme designed to help women from Black and minoritised communities, migrant women, refugee women and other underserved groups become more active in a safe, welcoming and supportive environment. The project was developed under the title Waves of Resilience and aims to reduce barriers to physical activity while improving wellbeing, confidence and community connection.

The funding will support the delivery of women-only swimming sessions at Dunston Leisure and other Centers, providing a culturally sensitive and trauma-informed space where women can learn to swim, build confidence in the water, improve their physical health and strengthen their emotional wellbeing.

The programme was developed following conversations with women already engaging in WEWN's Engage & Excel and Afia Clinic programmes. Many women shared that they wanted to be more physically active but faced barriers including lack of confidence, cultural considerations, previous trauma, caring responsibilities, social isolation and discomfort in mainstream leisure environments. Swimming emerged as one of the activities women most wanted to access if it could be delivered within a supportive women-only environment.

Creating Opportunities for Women to Thrive

Through weekly swimming sessions, women will have the opportunity to:

• Increase physical activity levels

• Improve confidence in and around water

• Develop healthier lifestyles

• Reduce social isolation

• Improve mental wellbeing

• Build friendships and peer support networks

• Access a safe women-only space where participation feels comfortable and inclusive

  
  

The programme builds on WEWN's wider commitment to empowering women through wellbeing, community connection, confidence-building and leadership development.

A Word from WEWN

"This funding is an exciting opportunity to support women who often face multiple barriers to participating in physical activity. We know from listening to women in our community that many want to swim but do not always feel comfortable accessing mainstream sessions.

Waves of Resilience will create a welcoming and supportive environment where women can improve their wellbeing, gain confidence and enjoy the benefits of being active. We are incredibly grateful to Sport England for investing in a project that helps remove barriers and create more inclusive opportunities for women."

Registration Now Open

Women who are interested in joining the upcoming swimming sessions at Dunston Leisure Centre are encouraged to register their interest.

For further information or to reserve a place, please contact:

Lynn Chikosha📞 0044 7396 799182📧 projects@wewn.co.uk

About WEWN

Women Empowerment and Wellness Network CIC (WEWN) is a women-led community organisation based in Gateshead that supports women, families and underserved communities through wellbeing, leadership development, employability, advocacy and community engagement programmes. Through its Engage & Excel and Afia Clinic initiatives, WEWN works to improve wellbeing, strengthen resilience and create pathways for women to thrive within their communities.