Last year, April Mehmet founded Walk It Out, a project dedicated to empowering women in Redbridge. With organised walks in Wanstead now part of the initiative, more female mentors are needed
“I look forward to my walks and feel more confident talking in a group… Getting out greatly improves our mental health and well-being… It is great to meet others locally.” These are just some of the comments from those taking part in our Wanstead walks.
I founded Walk It Out back in April 2021, aiming to empower young females and women in Redbridge to improve their health and well-being, to raise awareness through female empowerment and, most importantly, to tackle crime in the borough. What a journey it’s been – a successful one. I wanted to share this update with you since my last article in the Wanstead Village Directory, and to reach out to more females.
We are running several activities across Redbridge and our park walks include a Saturday morning event in Wanstead where females come together to walk for an hour, getting their 6,000 steps in, socialising and sharing experiences. Joining is free and easy; contact us for an enrolment form.
The Walk It Out mission is to strengthen the voices of females, reduce anxiety, teach new skills and build confidence in females to stand up for themselves at home and in public. Since launching the group, we have already helped so many women in so many ways, from getting back into education and work, becoming healthier and better role models to reminding them of their rights as women.
I have been thanked by the Mayor of Redbridge for all the work I have been doing in the community, which was a proud day for me, and I have also been nominated in the Mayor’s Community Awards 2022. Helping females and seeing the positive effects has really inspired me to continue helping the group grow, so we can continue improving the lives of women.
We have recently been working with local police, teaching females to be assertive, encouraging them to feel confident in reporting crime and discussing safety issues.
We are in the process of applying for funding so we are able to run activities, such as self-defence classes, and we welcome any donations to our JustGiving page. The Redbridge Local Lottery has chosen us as one of the organisations they support and we have also been acknowledged by Redbridge Council, now appearing in their Families Information Direct (FiND) service.
We are now looking for more volunteer mentors and admins to join our team, which can be applied for through Redbridge CVS. If you want to feel inspired, motivated and empowered, contact us. The best project you’ll ever work on is you!
For more information on how you can join a walk or support the Walk It Out initiative, call 07437 517 177, email contactwalkitout@gmail.com or visit the Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.
