Dozens of women Liverpool women have come together to make sure they have a safe space to exercise in the city centre.
It began with a Santa Dash to raise money for charity, and has since grown into a multi-activity group with hundreds of women.
Steph Barney, co-founder of Girls on the Go said there are many benefits to being part of the community.
She said: “I know a lot of girls have said their mental health has drastically improved, because they are just able to move their bodies and get some fresh air every week.
“It’s such an amazing opportunity for girls to just get out there and make some friends at the same time.”
As winter approaches, shorter days and less sunlight can disrupt the body’s internal clock, leading to lower energy, feelings of sadness, and even trouble concentrating.
According to research by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, seasonal depression is about three times more common in women than it is in men.
There are lots of women who still want to stay motivated and active during the winter period, however a lot of them have expressed that they feel unsafe running during the evenings.
Girls on the Go’s run club meet at 10am at weekends and 6pm each Thursday.
Steph said: “We don’t want women to be restricted and have to not leave the house past 4pm you know, when it gets dark. We really want to give a space where if girls want to run after work they can do it with us.
“We encourage girls to wear bright colours, we run in well lit areas. We always run around the docks. So there’s a lot of people and as a big group we do feel safer.”
The attendance of 290 girls at the Liverpool Women’s game at Anfield against Manchester City on the October the 13th is also a fantastic highlight for Girls on the Go Liverpool.
Bringing young female fans to such high-profile games not only builds enthusiasm for women’s sports but also directly aligns with Girls on the Go’s mission to build a sense of belonging, empowerment, and ambition in young girls across Liverpool.
As well as doing the running club to improve women’s mental health, GOTG offers a range of themed activities for affordable prices, such as wine glass painting, cake decorating and pottery painting.
Girls who live outside of Liverpool will be pleased to know that Girls on The Go has branched out to Manchester and Birmingham too.
Caitlin Lewing, co founder of GOTG said: “We just want to make sure that wherever you are in the UK, and you go to a Girls on the Go event they will be the same in every city, so you’ll get the same quality of events and hopefully the same outcome of meeting friends. We are really excited to see what comes next.”
