Mums on the Move by Women's Fitness Collective UK CIC is a community walking group for mothers at any point of their motherhood journey, offering a community environment and safe space where they can feel supported and validated.
Why was your Initiative created?
I had my baby in May 2025 and was diagnosed with post-natal depression very early on. 6 Weeks into my journey of motherhood I met up with a couple of girls for a walk and then I thought ‘it's made me feel better, surely there are other people feeling like this’.
This was then when Mums on the Move was created. Mums on the Move is a supportive walking group and community that helps combat isolation by bringing mums together through connection, movement, and shared experiences.
We encourage fitness, wellbeing, confidence, and positive mental health, whilst offering support, friendship and a sense of belonging through every stage of motherhood.
How did you understand what people wanted?
I knew the difficulties I was facing and knew other people would be experiencing their own issues with motherhood. I kept the meetings really informal and relaxed which made mums who were particularly anxious more at ease.
I made sure women were entering an environment where there are no cliques, no judgement and no pressure. It doesn't matter if they forget anything or if they turn up and their hair is not done. We embrace every single woman as they are.
How did you promote your activities?
Purely via social media. I set a Facebook page up and promoted in local groups. As time went on I attended a couple of baby fairs to talk to mums and promote what we offer.
Impact
The feedback from a number of mums is they wish they had found the group sooner than they had. They wish it had existed when they had their older children. They have been made to feel so welcome and empowered. It's made their maternity journey less isolating and given them something positive to aim for. Our walks started with 5 mums and now we average around 30 mums.
Feedback consistently highlights:
- Feeling safe and welcomed
- Improved wellbeing
- Increased motivation to stay active
How have you overcome barriers?
When I launched I did not know if people would turn up. I had to content with weather and I replanned walks into coffee mornings instead so the mums still had a reason to get out of the house and talk to someone.
I have had an occasion when a couple of mums have been inappropriate to other mums which has resulted in me asking them to leave as I make a point of the group being a community that does not judge each other. These are just a few things we have faced.
What are your plans for the future?
We have recently applied to become a CIC and been granted this. We started in Nottingham and have recently now expanded to Derby. We want to expand this further and have recruited volunteers to do this. We've also applied for funding to help us achieve this.
We would love to be UK wide at some point. We've expanded into a Womens only run club and a Womens only hiking club. We want to explore opportunities for further training. We ask for feedback to make sure we are delivering services to the best they can be.
Top Tips for other groups
Keep it relaxed and inclusive for any woman. To be determined it will work. There is always someone who wants to walk and talk. Make sure the group is not cliquey
How does Mums on the Move embody the 'Safe' action area?
We are passionate about giving women a safe space within our groups. This has been demonstrated when we have had women come to our groups and feel they can talk to us about anything including subjects such as domestic violence, marriage problems, mental health problems and more.
These women feel our space is safe enough they trust us with their most vulnerable information.