Women-only running in Inverclyde

By Katy Barden

In a bid to create a safe space for women to get active, Inverclyde AC launched its women-only ‘Fit 2 Run’ jogscotland group in April 2024.

The club was already supporting women to get involved in physical activity through an existing group, but the Inverclyde Women’s Safety Charter – an initiative introduced by Inverclyde Council which seeks to reduce barriers to women joining or participating in activities within local sports, leisure and recreational clubs – inspired the creation of the women-only programme.

“We’d already signed up to the Charter and we were committed to doing the right thing, but after hearing more about it and the importance of a women-only environment I thought we should be doing more, especially when at that point we couldn’t guarantee there would be no males in the vicinity due to other groups training at the same time,” explains Inverclyde AC coach Janice Hendrie.

“But, what has come out of that is that we now have a women-only group on a Monday morning. The whole idea of the Monday group is about providing a safe environment at the track, access to toilet facilities, and the opportunity to join other women to walk or jog. A lot of them won’t go down to the Battery Park (in Greenock), especially on nights when the club groups are training. I think it’s partly a confidence thing.”

The Fit 2 Run group, with the aim of getting members ‘fit to run’ from a starting point of walking or jogging, is delivered by Hendrie alongside long-serving club coach Kay Cook and Jog Leader Faye Currie. Initially set up as a 10-week pilot, the group will celebrate its first anniversary this spring.

The Inverclyde Women’s Safety Charter was put in place in response to the findings of a survey conducted by Inverclyde Council in 2021 that asked women and girls if they perceived any ‘safety impediment in undertaking activities in public spaces’. Almost all respondents reported that they’d been put off undertaking physical activity due to public safety concerns. Over one-third of respondents mentioned assault or harassment as their main personal safety concern.

The Charter is intended to encourage organisations to prioritise the safety and inclusivity of women within Inverclyde’s leisure and recreational sector and it has five commitments:

1. Culture: promote a culture that does not tolerate or accept harmful language, behaviour and attitudes towards women and girls
2. Communicate: create positive communications both online and face-to-face
3. Responding: take any reports and disclosures of sexual harassment, violence, or intimidation seriously and take appropriate action
4. Design for safety and inclusivity: do everything you can to provide an environment for women and girls that is equal, inclusive, and safe
5. Support: proudly support Inverclyde’s movement towards being a safe and inclusive place for all women and girls.

The commitments of the Charter align with jogscotland’s ambition – as documented in its recently published strategy, ‘Keep Moving Forward’ – to deliver an inclusive, vibrant, welcoming jogscotland programme that provides safe, meaningful environments for everyone in Scotland to enjoy the many physical, mental and social benefits of physical activity.

“I definitely feel more confident being part of a women-only group,” says member Nicola Carroll. “There are no judgements of your ability and everyone runs at their own level and pace and encourages each other.

“My main reason for joining was to ‘up’ my fitness, lose weight and try something new that I’ve always thought was too hard to do. I wouldn’t go out running alone if I didn’t have the group. For me, it’s more self-consciousness. I’m not the best or fastest and I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing it outwith the group.”

Fellow member Elaine Kirkwood – who joined the group when it first launched after seeing it advertised on Facebook – said: “My main reason for going in all honesty was because my friend suggested we go along and give it a go. During the school summer holidays, which can sometimes be a setback in your fitness routine, we were able to bring our children along to join in, so it was great to be able to continue to do that (during that time) and the kids loved getting involved.

“When I first started I probably walked more than I actually ran, but over the weeks we have been guided in various running sessions to improve our stamina etc. and have built it up over the course of this time to actually run more with fewer rest periods. There is absolutely no pressure to do anything you’re not comfortable with, and all the ladies are so friendly and supportive of each other.

“I don’t think I would necessarily go out running at night by myself, although I have tried to go out running on at least one other day out with the Monday sessions. I’ve run at the Battery Park at times once the kids have gone to school, but I only have the confidence to do this after attending the sessions on a Monday, as I know I can now run for longer than I ever imagined I would be able to.”

Inverclyde AC’s Fit2Run jog sessions, which operate in partnership with Branchton Community Centre, Ravenscraig Community Sports Hub, Inverclyde Leisure and the Inverclyde Women’s Safety Charter are free and targeted at adults of all levels of fitness.