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Women's Walking Group Empowers Solihull Locals
23 Feb
Summary
- Over 100 women attend weekly evening walks in Solihull's park.
- The group provides high-visibility vests, torches, and walkie-talkies.
- Many participants form friendships and gain energy from the walks.
More than a hundred women are now regularly gathering on cold winter evenings in a Solihull town park for guided walks. The Solihull Women's Stride Squad, co-founded by Vicky Evans and Keeley Skelding, was launched in May and has since seen hundreds of women participate in free weekly walks around Brueton Park. The walks occur in all weather conditions, with participants equipped with pink high-vis vests, torches, and walkie-talkies to ensure no one is left behind.
The initiative aims to support women, offering them a safe space to enjoy nature and build community. Many attendees arrive as strangers but depart as friends, experiencing significant boosts in energy and well-being. Volunteers Maz Sadiq and Dee Chauhan help organize and ensure safety, with Sadiq noting a dramatic increase in personal energy. Local leader Karen Grinsell also frequently joins the walks, highlighting the social aspect where participants share experiences and form new connections.
The group's success is evident in its social media page, boasting over 2,000 members. Co-founders Evans and Skelding express amazement at the transformation seen in members, from withdrawn individuals forming friendships to those gaining the confidence to pursue their own activities. The core principle remains safety in numbers, empowering women to engage with outdoor spaces they might otherwise avoid.
