![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Naseem-300x200.jpg\")
Naseem Akhtar, Saheli Hub\u2019s project manager, is a whirl of energy and enthusiasm as the women gather bikes and safety gear on the crisp Saturday morning.<\/p>\nTwo sisters who are encouraging other women to break the typical stereotypes of Asian Women talk how they have built confidence in themselves and healthier lives,<\/p>\n
Growing up sisters, Sahida and Wehida rarely played outside while they were growing up in Ward End.<\/p>\n
They became short on confidence, and struggled to get out to meet other people.<\/p>\n
But as adults they have pursued more active, sociable lives \u00a0even running half-marathons between them, including finishers\u2019 medals from events in Dublin, Edinburgh and Newcastle.<\/p>\n
Sahida and Wehida both give credit to their achievements to joining Saheli Hub, which has received funding from the National Lottery and is helping women in Birmingham.<\/p>\n
Earlier in May they took part in Velo Birmingham & Midlands during Ramadan, after being granted special permission from organisers to take part in 10 miles of the 100 mile closed road course.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were nervous at first about being women out and about cycling on the roads in a predominantly Asian and Pakistani Muslim area,\u201d said NHS worker Sahida, aged 45.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut this project has helped to break down the stereotypes of the typical Asian woman who stays at home and never goes out.<\/p>\n
\u201cMen have been stopping their cars to let us pass and, because Saheli are very visible, women have stopped us to ask who we are and where we meet.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone has been really supportive and now I see women in headscarves out cycling in Ward End.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s encouraging and heart-warming to see that they are leading healthier lives in a city that is moving towards cleaner air and a better environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just about sport, we go out for meals at the weekend and socialise and there\u2019s also allotment gardening, knit and natter, crochet and chai and Zumba,\u201d Sahida said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere also a sense of community and a sense of achievement within the group.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wehida, 48, has also spoken about how she has grown in confidence and has been joined on rides by her 18-year-old daughter, Sanna.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven after all this, I still lack confidence but the group always encourage me, always motivate me and we push each other,\u201d said Wehida, who works in a children\u2019s centre.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy daughter has learned to ride a bike as well and taken up cycling and running.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has gone on to university to study bio-science but is considering sport as a career.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have taken part in events together where it\u2019s been nervy out on the road but I\u2019ve stayed strong for her and because it is about parents setting the right example for their children.\u201d<\/p>\n
Saheli was established in 1998, to a need for women\u2019s-only community health and well-being activities, with a study carried out for the charity finding this should take into account the culturally-sensitive needs of local Muslim women.<\/p>\n
Run across three ‘wellbeing hubs’, including the main base by Calthorpe Park in Balsalll Heath, along with Handsworth and Bordesley Green, the project’s activities reach around 1,500 women every year.<\/p>\n
Sahida and Wehida recently joined 30 cyclists wearing safety gear and pink Saheli T-shirts who took part in a 10-mile ride for the project\u2019s first outing at the\u00a0V\u00e9lo.<\/p>\n
In Ward End Park, classes and rides are run for different abilities every Saturday and Sunday. Cycling groups are also run by Saheli in Balsall Heath, Saltley and Handsworth.<\/p>\n
Naseem Akhtar, Saheli Hub\u2019s project manager, is a whirl of energy and enthusiasm as the women gather bikes and safety gear on the crisp Saturday morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cycling club was launched about two years ago, but unofficially it\u2019s been going for about 10 years,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s encouraging women mainly, but not exclusively, of black and ethnic minority background to learn how to ride a bike and cycle.<\/p>\n
“We\u2019ve trained up our own instructors who teach women how to ride a bike in two or three locations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Learners feel at ease in all-women groups where, safety permitting, they can wear whatever they like, including head scarves and long sleeves and trousers, in fitting with their cultural background, rather than cyclists\u2019 lycra-wear<\/p>\n
Cycling is just one of many pursuits offered by Saheli.<\/p>\n
Running has landed the group finishers\u2019 medals from marathons, half-marathons and other events across the UK, with gardening and knit and natter sessions available for those who want to socialise at a slower pace.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe offer progression and it\u2019s all about the adventure,\u201d Naseem said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe call it the Saheli adventure and we will help and support you along the way.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can go from walking to jogging to running marathons \u2013 the adventure can be whatever you choose.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile women may join for health issues, such as weight, the emphasis is always on fun, and they may join one group, such as cycling, and go on to others.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter a while their confidence grows and they suddenly ask you, \u2018can I do this next?\u2019 but you can always stay a beginner if you choose.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the key things we offer is social interaction, which is great for women who can be isolated at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Saheli Hub is one of the leading examples of how communities can get out and active \u2013 one of the key themes of the National Lottery’s #GetActiveBrum Campaign.<\/p>\n
Two Sisters Two sisters who are encouraging other women to break the typical stereotypes of Asian Women talk how they have built confidence in themselves and healthier lives,<\/p>\n
Growing up sisters, Sahida and Wehida rarely played outside while they were growing up in Ward End.<\/p>\n
They became short on confidence, and struggled to get out to meet other people.<\/p>\n
But as adults they have pursued more active, sociable lives \u00a0even running half-marathons between them, including finishers\u2019 medals from events in Dublin, Edinburgh and Newcastle.<\/p>\n
Sahida and Wehida both give credit to their achievements to joining Saheli Hub, which has received funding from the National Lottery and is helping women in Birmingham.<\/p>\n
Earlier in May they took part in Velo Birmingham & Midlands during Ramadan, after being granted special permission from organisers to take part in 10 miles of the 100 mile closed road course.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were nervous at first about being women out and about cycling on the roads in a predominantly Asian and Pakistani Muslim area,\u201d said NHS worker Sahida, aged 45.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut this project has helped to break down the stereotypes of the typical Asian woman who stays at home and never goes out.<\/p>\n
\u201cMen have been stopping their cars to let us pass and, because Saheli are very visible, women have stopped us to ask who we are and where we meet.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone has been really supportive and now I see women in headscarves out cycling in Ward End.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s encouraging and heart-warming to see that they are leading healthier lives in a city that is moving towards cleaner air and a better environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just about sport, we go out for meals at the weekend and socialise and there\u2019s also allotment gardening, knit and natter, crochet and chai and Zumba,\u201d Sahida said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere also a sense of community and a sense of achievement within the group.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wehida, 48, has also spoken about how she has grown in confidence and has been joined on rides by her 18-year-old daughter, Sanna.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven after all this, I still lack confidence but the group always encourage me, always motivate me and we push each other,\u201d said Wehida, who works in a children\u2019s centre.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy daughter has learned to ride a bike as well and taken up cycling and running.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has gone on to university to study bio-science but is considering sport as a career.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have taken part in events together where it\u2019s been nervy out on the road but I\u2019ve stayed strong for her and because it is about parents setting the right example for their children.\u201d<\/p>\n
Saheli was established in 1998, to a need for women\u2019s-only community health and well-being activities, with a study carried out for the charity finding this should take into account the culturally-sensitive needs of local Muslim women.<\/p>\n
Run across three ‘wellbeing hubs’, including the main base by Calthorpe Park in Balsalll Heath, along with Handsworth and Bordesley Green, the project’s activities reach around 1,500 women every year.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/0_Saheli-1-300x200.jpg\")
Sahida and Wehida recently joined 30 cyclists wearing safety gear and pink Saheli T-shirts who took part in a 10-mile ride for the project\u2019s first outing at the\u00a0V\u00e9lo.<\/p>\n
In Ward End Park, classes and rides are run for different abilities every Saturday and Sunday. Cycling groups are also run by Saheli in Balsall Heath, Saltley and Handsworth.<\/p>\n
Naseem Akhtar, Saheli Hub\u2019s project manager, is a whirl of energy and enthusiasm as the women gather bikes and safety gear on the crisp Saturday morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cycling club was launched about two years ago, but unofficially it\u2019s been going for about 10 years,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s encouraging women mainly, but not exclusively, of black and ethnic minority background to learn how to ride a bike and cycle.<\/p>\n
“We\u2019ve trained up our own instructors who teach women how to ride a bike in two or three locations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Learners feel at ease in all-women groups where, safety permitting, they can wear whatever they like, including head scarves and long sleeves and trousers, in fitting with their cultural background, rather than cyclists\u2019 lycra-wear<\/p>\n
Cycling is just one of many pursuits offered by Saheli.<\/p>\n
Running has landed the group finishers\u2019 medals from marathons, half-marathons and other events across the UK, with gardening and knit and natter sessions available for those who want to socialise at a slower pace.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe offer progression and it\u2019s all about the adventure,\u201d Naseem said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe call it the Saheli adventure and we will help and support you along the way.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can go from walking to jogging to running marathons \u2013 the adventure can be whatever you choose.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile women may join for health issues, such as weight, the emphasis is always on fun, and they may join one group, such as cycling, and go on to others.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter a while their confidence grows and they suddenly ask you, \u2018can I do this next?\u2019 but you can always stay a beginner if you choose.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the key things we offer is social interaction, which is great for women who can be isolated at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Saheli Hub is one of the leading examples of how communities can get out and active.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Two sisters who are encouraging other women to break the typical stereotypes of Asian Women talk how they have built confidence in themselves and healthier lives, Growing up sisters, Sahida and Wehida rarely played outside while they were growing up in Ward End. They became short on confidence, and struggled to get out to meet […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,3,112],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","category-news","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theasiantoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}