Serco Leisure is launching a series of night-time running and walking clubs at its centres in support of This Girl Can’s (TGC), Let’s Lift the Curfew campaign, which aims to highlight the fact that almost 75% of women alter their outdoor activity routines during the winter months.

TGC is the Sport England-created, National Lottery-funded initiative launched in 2015 to celebrate a realistic vision of women and exercise in England and to tackle the gender activity gap. In October 2023, TGC introduced its Let’s Lift the Curfew campaign, which looks to showcase women’s stories and concerns around getting active outdoors in the darker months.

Recent research from TGC has shown that around one in four (24%) women ensure they take well-lit routes, almost a quarter (23%) avoid certain areas altogether and one in five (20%) glance behind them to ensure they’re not being followed, while exercising after dark.

Steve Nelson, Director, Leisure, said: “As part of Serco Leisure’s Active Health and Wellbeing strategy, we’re proud to support This Girl Can’s ‘Let’s Lift the Curfew’ campaign. It’s important that all people feel comfortable exercising outdoors whatever the time of year. Dark nights should not mean anyone has miss out on the many physical and mental health benefits of staying active.

“We’ve got sessions scheduled at many of our centres around the country, with the initial one kicking off on December 4th at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre, a facility we are proud to operate in partnership with Sport England.”

Sarah Berne, Serco Leisure’s National Active Wellbeing Manager, who joined the company in May this year, added: “Each of our participating centres will offer a facilitated group exercise session, led by a member of our health and fitness team. This will be a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for all, and we’ll also be providing high vis kit to ensure everyone can be safely seen.

“As someone relatively new to Serco Leisure, I’m delighted to see the company supporting such a worthwhile awareness campaign, and hope to see walkers, joggers and runners of all abilities attending one of these night-time sessions.”

Serco Leisure manages over 50 centres in the UK, on behalf of clients such as local authorities, Sport England, and the national charity for wheelchair sport, WheelPower.