Monday 25th Nov: RunDemCrew Youngers Women's Program

You may have detected a new running directional slant to my life via this blog and here is another twist to the RunDemCrew cheetah's tail.  The founder of my running club (Charlie Dark) set up an initiative called "Youngers" to "get into the heartbeat of the younger generation, and give them the tools to change their lives through sport and creativity".  Here is the latest venture in association with the movement that has a female specific targeted outreach.  "RDC Youngers Women's Programme" is a women's empowerment project aimed at getting young women to make fitness a part of their lives and educate them in how it can empower and motivate them to be and feel amazing!

"As a group of women we know that navigating the media portrayal of how we should look is challenging and occasionally infuriating.  For young women especially we know that body image issues can cause huge problems with confidence, self esteem and even depression. Advertising and Media often tell us that we are not good enough as we are. What we aren’t told is that being active, fit and healthy is the best way to feel empowered, inspired and motivated for all areas of our lives.  We believe that donning some trainers and getting into the community of women (of all shapes, sizes and cultural backgrounds) in London embracing fitness at every level is an amazing way to own our bodies and feel empowered to achieve great things. "

They are working initially with City of Westminster college, holding a series of fitness workshops and asked a few of us RunDemCrew runners to inspire the students to sign up to the project.  Here I am with blogger & journalist Bangs and dj Josey Rebelle who both gave magnificent and perfectly pitched talks on their own personal experiences and how it might relate to each girl in the audience.  By the looks of it this introduction worked wonders as the final photo here shows the first week's workshops success.  Not only will the girls be coached in running but also have creative challenges set each week.  I wish I had discovered running when I was at college (rather than in my 30's) so I was more than happy to help with promoting the scheme.  I hadn't expected the bonus of discovering the amazing architecture of this college which felt like London's very own Guggenheim!

To find out more about The City of Westminster College women’s empowerment project, supported by The Parliamentors Programme, go here.

(Photos pooled from our various instagram pages)