A women-only fitness project at St Dunstan’s Church in Wavertree, Liverpool, helped women from across the community improve their health and wellbeing.
The Lauda Project ran the classes in response to conversations with local women who wanted to improve their health and faced barriers to taking part in regular exercise.
With a focus on modesty and accessibility for women of all cultures, the project created a safe and welcoming space where participants could come together.
The Lauda Project supports Romanian and Roma families in the Toxteth, Wavertree, and Edge Hill areas, hosting weekly gatherings for families at St Dunstan’s.
The exercise classes were funded by a grant from the Church Urban Fund’s Near Neighbours programme, applied for with support from Together Liverpool’s Network of Kindness.
The sessions ran for two months in spring/summer 2025, with fitness coach Nadia Alrakami of Train Like A Hijabi, leading women through a circuits-style workout session.
Watch our Story of Kindness video about the project:
Lauda Project Coordinator Leah Daly said the idea came about after women began talking about their health concerns, from diabetes and arthritis, to wanting to lose weight.
Leah said: “We thought, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could offer something for them free of charge, offering child care and something that would take away those barriers. Then we heard about Near Neighbours and that there was some funding available to help us get started. So we went for that.”
Participant Levănțică said the group means a lot to her: “For me. It’s magic!” She said: “If I come here, for me, it’s like everything stops. You just give me that time and I’m enjoying that.” She also appreciated the freedom to attend wearing modest clothing, adding: “We have here the freedom to come as we are without any problem.”
Another participant Jean said: “I’m 77. I’ve been looking for an exercise class for about two years. I’ve got arthritis in my shoulders, and I find that helps a lot. It’s made me more active, and I even feel happier. I don’t know where that comes in, but it’s happening. I really love it.”
Revd Lu Skerratt-Love, curate at Team Parish of St. Luke in the City including St Dunstan’s, said: “It’s really good. It’s really good for the community, mainly because there’s nothing really like this around.
“We know that women in this community may face multiple barriers to accessing fitness, and support and free childcare as well. This is quite a deprived area of Liverpool, so actually this makes a massive difference in terms of community, and the wider difference we can make in this parish.”
Reflecting on the project’s wider purpose, Leah said: “We hope it improves mental health so that they can feel good and not be isolated. They can get out a little bit. Somebody else can look after their children so they can do something good for them. And we hope that it will provide friendship for people – another way for us to engage as the church with our local community.”
Together Liverpool supports organisations to apply for Near Neighbours grants. Find out more: Funding opportunity: Near Neighbours Small Grants now open – Together Liverpool
