Women's Health Movement & Belonging
We use culturally responsive movement, community, and belonging to engage women who are often underrepresented in physical activity and health.
Built Around What Helps Women Stay Active
We're not bringing another fitness class into your timetable. We're bringing over 12 years' experience in understanding what helps women engage, stay active and build lasting confidence through movement.
Empowering Women to Take Control of Their Health & Wellbeing
What We Do
We create culturally responsive women-only health fitness and wellbeing programmes that help women move more, build confidence and feel connected. Through community programmes, partnerships and trained coaches, we create welcoming spaces where women feel they belong and are supported to make lasting changes to their health & wellbeing.
Motivation - Our approach
We understand that becoming more active is not simply about motivation. Wommen are more likely to engage when they feel welcomed understood and that they belong.
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Our culturally responsive approach combines movement, positive coaching, community and connection to create environments where women of different ages, backgrounds and abilities can participate with confidence.
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This belief sits at the heart of our BELONG METHOD - putting belonging before behaviour change and helping women build healthier, more active lives in ways that feel achievable and sustainable.
Our Impact
Women taking part in our programmes report becoming more active, more confident and more connected, with improvements in their physical and emotional wellbeing. Some women have told us that as their health and fitness improved, they made fewer GP visits and reduced their use of medication.
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Our impact goes beyond physical activity. We create opportunities for women to build skills, develop confidence and progress into coaching and leadership roles, strengthening capacity within the communities we serve.
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Through partnerships with health services, universities, community organisations and leisure providers, we continue to build our evidence base and demonstrate how culturally responsive approaches can help reduce barriers to physical activity and improve women's health and wellbeing.
Meet with Shamime Jan, the Director and Founder of Bollyfit Active, along with some of our amazing members!
Meet the Team
We're excited to introduce you to the incredible people who make BollyFit Active possible. Our admins, talented team, volunteers and dedicated support staff work tirelessly to ensure that you have an unforgettable experience. We're here to help you in every way we can, so get ready to put a face to the name and discover the people behind the brand!
Founder & Director | Women's Health & Wellbeing Leader
Shamime Jan
Shamime is the Founder and Director of Bollyfit Active and creator of the BELONG Method™ and Bollyfit45™. Her work has been shaped by nearly three decades of grassroots community experience, particularly supporting women who experience barriers to mainstream health and physical activity services.
Through Bollyfit Active, Shamime is now developing a scalable model that combines trusted community engagement, physical activity, preventative health and the development of women as community coaches and leaders.
Volunteer
Tannya
I started to attend the Chai and Chat sessions 10 months ago, and it was contagious and encouraging to see so many beautiful ladies looking for options to grow, be healthy and serve. This awoke in me the sleepy desire to do volunteer work. I like how the Bollyfit Active group supports some existing projects run by other organisations, such as the Community Fridge. I joined that volunteering group in October 2022 to welcome, pass the list, and chat with people as they waited to pick up their food. It has been a wonderful and gratifying experience where you can feel that you are part of a community and find brotherhood between races, cultures and different backgrounds. You think you will help, but instead, God is always teaching us lessons of resilience, strength, gratefulness, and humility while we are close to others' lives. I am highly thankful for this opportunity.
Volunteer
Naila
I have joined the volunteer team in Nov 2022. I have been thinking of starting work again since my children are in school, but I haven't found suitable work I would love to do. I have joined Bollyfit Active's volunteer team to get into Administration. Some ladies are interested in being coaches, and I wanted to be an administrator. Because I hadn't worked in the last 10 years, I was reluctant, but Shamime has magical skills with convincing power, which motivated me to ask her to let me do some work, and I am grateful that she has given me the opportunity to start with something. I am proud to be a Volunteer Admin assistant of Bollyfit Active CIC.
Volunteer
Irum
I joined Bollyfit Active in February 2021 as a ladies-only fitness class. I have been isolated & mentally frustrated due to the pandemic. I consistently started to attend this session, felt relaxed mentally & noticed positive changes in my daily life. Then, I decided to be a part of the Bollyfit Active volunteer team. I have volunteered before with other organisations, but here, I feel happier, more energetic, and more mindful in the working environment. I am very pleased to be part of it. I learn new skills day by day with my team members. I aspire to be an effective member of the community & serve them better. I am thankful to Bollyfit Active CIC, which creates this healthy, happy environment for women. Healthy Women's Can create healthy surroundings!!."
Volunteer
Rozina
I started the Chai & Chat group last year. I love to attend and volunteer there, and I feel very proud when I do something for people. Now, I've joined Bollyfit Actives Volunteers; I really enjoy it. I have known Shamime for a long time, but I never participated in the Bollyfit Active group. It has made me happier and improved my health overall. I would like to thank Shamime and the whole Bollyfit Actives group for encouraging me to join and helping others get involved.
“We’ve signposted women who were looking to manage their weight to Bollyfit sessions & they have gained confidence about being able to actually do something to manage their weight & achieve results where they may have struggled before. They’re so proud & positive about what they’ve achieved.”
- Naomi Woodcock, 422 Community Hub
Words From the Women Who Participated in The Bollyfit Active Movement and Wellbeing Programme Supported By The Manchester City Council Population Health.
SA
“At home I had suffered from loneliness and I always felt low. I came to BollyFit and took part in the sessions. I can even inform my family about healthier living. My health has improved by coming here”
CH
“Before BollyFit sessions, I was miserable and lonely. I hardly did any activities as I felt so hopeless. Attending BollyFit sessions has made me better. I have the motivation to get out of my house and be active”
MM
“Before I came to BollyFit, I felt life was dull and I was suffering from depression. I spent most of my time just lying down for a long time. I had anxiety and didn’t take care of myself. Now, I smile more and I feel much better. I look forward to Tuesdays (to attend BollyFit active sessions). I have experienced weight loss and lost inches of my body. Often I will take regular walks and use the food knowledge I have gained. I now look forward to my son's wedding due to BollyFit sessions”
KD
“Often, I was sad and depressed. I felt isolated and always tired. I was not an active person at all. Now, after coming to BollyFit, I am happier, and I am happy to see everyone. I have lost weight and have become healthier and more positive. My family encourages me to keep coming and improve my health. I see my GP less now than I did before”
SA
“I was overweight and suffering from knee pain. After joining BollyFit, I have lost weight and my diabetes is more manageable. My diabetes is down by 25%, and I can sit down when I pray, which I couldn’t do before”
YO
“My body feels fresher, and I am happy to meet people. My energy levels are better than before”
NE
“I am more active and able to do early morning activities when I wake up which I couldn’t do before. I socialise more and now have a reason to get up and out of my house. Post-Covid, I suffered from leg pains, and I no longer feel this. I don’t get dehydrated anymore”
MN
“Prior to participating in BollyFit Active sessions I had been informed by my doctor I was diabetic and I was not managing my health at all. Despite doing diets and weight loss apps, I gained weight overall, and then my mental health was the lowest it had been. I had no idea how to get help. I was borderline depressed. As a result of participating in BollyFit sessions, I have lost weight and inches. I am now a part of a positive, nurturing community. I see smiles all around me here, which lifts my mood. I can see the positive impact in people around me, and it feels good”
LA
“I was weak, sleepy and suffered from stiffness with pains in my body. After attending the sessions, I have lost weight, and I can walk for longer than before with better mobility. Even my diabetes is better it has been reduced by half and I also take less painkillers than before”
ML
“Before I attended the BollyFit Active Movement and Wellbeing Programme, I was not active at all. I could not motivate myself to do anything. I was sedentary. However, since discovering and participating in the BollyFit Active Movement and Wellbeing Programme, it has enabled me to take control of my mental and physical health. I am highly motivated to be active and do things. I feel inspired now”
Journey To Fitness:
Stories Of Success and Strength
RD
BollyFit Member
"I have been connected with Bollyfit for over 2 years now. I came to Bollyfit as a lost woman who didn't know what I wanted in life. I was hit with bad health and was totally dependent on my family to look after me. When I physically started getting better, I found Bollyfit Active, and at this point, my mental health was at its lowest. week by week after attending Bollyfit sessions I started to notice small changes in my mental health, and I was enjoying the changes and before I knew it, I was healthier, happier and much stronger mentally and physically. I then wanted to give something back to Bollyfit so I decided to volunteer for Bollyfit, I had a lot of work to still do on myself with my confidence but 1 step at a time my confidence grew. I was a very active Bollyfit volunteer and then became a sessional worker for BFA and then followed by training up to become a BFA coach and also getting a paid job with the council. When I look back, I still cannot believe I have come this far. 3 years ago, i gave up on life i couldn't look after my family and now i am doing everything and managing my health better. Bollyfit has taught me how to live again, i found myself again i have a big Bollyfit family now where i have lots of genuine relationships mothers/sisters/friends/companions we laugh together we cry together, and we enjoy life together.
Here I am... My name is Asma. I have wings that I can fly with, and I want to show everyone that they have wings, too, and we all can fly together. I love to bring a smile on every human I cross paths with and show them their potential, and I love watching them fly higher than me, too"
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BollyFit gives you a holistic package tailored to your needs, and this is the speciality of BollyFit that I have never seen in any other classes or groups I have attended in the past. Thank you BollyFit for helping me find and use my wings again.
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