A bit of drizzle will never get the Afrocats down, and once again we were gratefully supported by Greater Manchester Walking and Greater Manchester Moving to get women from sanctuary seeker backgrounds outside for some refreshing walks and rejuvenating creative movement in Manchester city centre.
Once everyone arrived at Castlefield Bowl, dance practitioner Jordan eased the group into the session with some self-massage to warm up the muscles.
Our women really enjoyed this and were able to discuss the different joints which ache, and the importance of being kind to themselves and their bodies – ‘every body’ needs some self-love, after all.
Jordan then began a ball throwing game to get everyone laughing and moving, which then became a contemporary movement with ‘acting’ and miming different ways of ball throwing.
Then for some imaginative movement, spelling out names and body writing with the hips – check out the clip below to see how it went!
Contrasting big movements with small, and showing that you can feel invigorated during games infused with dance and movement, Jordan achieved her vision for the session, revealing that:
‘I love to play games, and I want smiles and moments of connection! Especially as we get older, we forget about our inner child.’
All together now!
And as always, healthy snacks were provided.
One participant highlighted the importance of, and joy she gets from, attending the walking sessions, and another spoke of missing the gym now that she finds it difficult to afford whilst caring for her children.
She looks forward to Mondays with us, and the chance to get in some exercise every week – which is essential for maintaining both physical and mental health, especially for sanctuary seekers.
‘This is what I needed!’
‘I was raised on outdoor activities.’
‘This reminds me of home, in my country we always dance outside for celebrations.’
And:
‘It is good to come here and stretch and be active, it feels good for me.’
‘Thanks be to God for bringing me here, and these sessions.’
‘This was fun today, very different dancing.’
Our lovely ladies have really grown and developed friendly bonds over the course of our sessions, and the hope for Afrocats is that more women like them will feel able to join them in walking, moving, and feeling revitalised – no matter the weather!
Want to give a gift, or help Afrocats with our inclusive projects? Find out more information on our ‘Support Us’ page.