Exploring Diabetes Prevention for South Asian Women Through Community-Led Movement: A research collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University
- BollyFit Team
- 27 minutes ago
- 3 min read
South Asian women face some of the highest risks of Type 2 Diabetes in the UK, yet they remain one of the least-reached groups in mainstream health programmes. For years, Bollyfit Active has worked directly within these communities — creating culturally familiar, safe and empowering spaces where women can move, connect, learn and heal.
This lived experience has now become the foundation of a new research partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University, focusing specifically on our Bollyfit Diabetes Programme for South Asian women.
Why This Diabetes Research Matters
Many South Asian women experience barriers that traditional health services cannot reach:
cultural and family expectations
limited confidence or time
language and communication barriers
trauma, shame or fear around health conditions
lack of culturally safe spaces
feeling unseen or misunderstood in mainstream settings
Our programme was built from the ground up to address these realities — blending movement, peer support, cultural understanding and health education in a way that resonates deeply with women.
The researchers at MMU recognised this, and together we are exploring why our approach works so effectively and how it can inform wider diabetes prevention work across Greater Manchester and beyond.
A Powerful Moment: Meeting on the Eve of World Diabetes Day
Our research planning meeting with MMU took place one day before World Diabetes Day — a meaningful alignment that reflected exactly why this work matters.
While the world prepared to raise awareness about diabetes, we were sitting with researchers, health partners, and local women, shaping a model that could genuinely change lives. It was a reminder that:
awareness is important
but real change begins in community rooms
with real women
in safe spaces
through culturally rooted movement
and with research that listens to lived experience
This partnership is part of that global journey — starting here, with the voices of South Asian women in Manchester.
What the Research Will Explore
Together with the MMU team, we are co-designing a study that looks at:
improved confidence and emotional wellbeing
weight, movement and metabolic health
understanding of diabetes and lifestyle change
the role of cultural movement styles
group accountability and sisterhood
long-term impact on habits and health
removing stigma around diabetes in South Asian communities.
This is not research done “from the outside.”
It is created with the women, for the women, and shaped by their real stories.
A Partnership Rooted in Respect and Lived Experience
MMU brings academic expertise. Bollyfit Active brings:
three decades of community leadership
cultural intelligence
trusted relationships
safe-space creation
deep understanding of South Asian women’s realities
Together, we are building evidence for a programme that has the potential to shape:
NHS prevention pathways
community-led health strategies
culturally competent wellbeing models
future training for coaches and community leaders
Looking Ahead
This research marks a milestone in our journey.
It strengthens our long-term vision to:
expand our diabetes programme
train more culturally competent coaches
scale into more neighbourhoods
continue reducing health inequalities
ensure South Asian women are heard, represented and supported
Most importantly, it ensures their stories — their courage, their challenges, their breakthroughs — become visible in academic and health systems.
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