“Seeing these ladies and experiencing their confidence levels grow is both a pleasure and a privilege.”
Emma is a ‘Walk it. Ride it.’ Activator and has been walking with the Women’s group in Harehills for the last few months. She has seen lots of changes and moments of progress within this time, with numbers increasing and people really starting to take on new challenges for themselves.
I’ve been taking the ladies from a women’s walking group out on various walks to gain confidence and knowledge about their local areas. We meet each week at the same starting point in Harehills Give a Gift charity organisation on Roundhay Road, and we go out, explore the local area and it’s just a really pleasant experience for us all. We enjoy each other’s company, make new social connections, learn things about each other and the local area as we walk and it boosts all our confidence whilst promoting healthy, positive behaviours.
After learning that many of the women relied on family members for lifts to the walking group and sometimes couldn’t attend when those members weren’t available, we decided to incorporate bus travel into our walking sessions. This new approach offered them an added opportunity to explore wider areas of Leeds.
The ladies were open to the idea and excited about visiting new places. Over the last few weeks, we have started taking the bus to go on walks further afield. This has been a really positive experience, allowing us to visit places that we ordinarily wouldn’t have time to reach within our usual session times. It’s opened up opportunities to explore other areas of Leeds. We’ve visited places like Leeds Kirkgate Market in the City Centre, and most recently, explored the Leeds Dock, including a walk past the Armouries and along the canal before finding the bus route to take us back.
It’s been a lovely learning experience for all of us. The women have generously taken on navigating bus timetables, planning routes, discovering information about price-saver saver and group ticket options. For some women, it was their first time on a bus, making it a completely new experience for them and many new skills to learn.
Our first ‘bus and walk’ session saw three women take the bus for the very first time. During the session, we downloaded the ‘First Bus app’, we read the timetable online, asked for tickets at the bus stop, and learned how to signal the bus to stop when getting on and off. These tasks can be assumed to be common knowledge but are crucial in building lived experience and confidence levels.
Speaking to the women, it was clear that for some, taking the bus alone was a new experience. Many women mentioned that bus travel wasn’t something they were taught to do, or even consider from a young age, as their families typically ensured they travelled by car. One woman explained that in Pakistan, bus travel can be a daunting experience, so she never considered using the bus in the UK, anticipating it to be similar. She felt safer knowing she was travelling with her trusted walking group.
The ‘bus and walk’ sessions are also developing positive individual travel habits like Bus travel making trips to the shops, park and community centre. One lady in particular, has taken the bus alone for the first time and continues to attend sessions and visit local places independently. An experienced member kindly supported her on her first journey, and she hasn’t looked back since. I am so impressed with what they’ve taken on and now made it their own mission!
I have seen that these sessions have had a significant impact on women’s lives. Some have taken the bus with the group multiple times and are now exploring other routes using their mobile apps, and planning future journeys together which is really amazing to hear. I feel so proud of what they’ve achieved already in such a short length of time.
Seeing these ladies and experiencing their confidence levels grow is both a pleasure and a privilege. They have made new friends, discovered new places together and expanded their horizons by navigating the buses. They also said that they would feel more comfortable taking their children places in the school holidays and weekends as a result. It’s amazing to see what an impact something like a walking group can have on people. These experiences are not only expanding their horizons but also fostering a sense of independence and confidence when navigating public transport. We all get to enjoy a nice walk together, learn something new about each other and discover how to get there – we are all thoroughly enjoying our adventures around Leeds!
“Seeing these ladies and experiencing their confidence levels grow is both a pleasure and a privilege. They have made new friends, discovered new places together and expanded their horizons by navigating the buses. It’s amazing to see what an impact something like a walking group can have on people.”