media
sharing our story
It’s important for The Bridge to be able to share the opportunities we offer and the impact we make to ensure that those who need us can find help and support through our projects and services.
For information on future and past media involvement, please contact our charity team here.
feb 22
Tanyel Mustafa writing in Metro , shone a light on the need for women-only spaces. “many women have found a women-only gym to be a welcome refuge from unwanted male attention, harassment, and intimidation”. She went on to say “A recent survey indicated that 6 in 10 women have felt harassed in a gym by a man.”
The Bridge was delighted to be part of the conversation.
jan 22
TimeOut seal of approval for women-only gym at The Bridge.
TimeOut said “The team of instructors at this community-led gym between The Shard and Southwark Bridge are always delighted to help, and they’re guaranteed to have a banging playlist on the go while you pump the iron. The café on the ground floor serves seriously tasty lunches and protein shakes at an honest price.”
oct 21
fitness at The Bridge
One of The Bridge’s Health and wellbeing trainers, Samantha Mohamed-Ali, shared her mission with Women’s Health magazine.
Samantha has been sharing her expertise at The Bridge in Southwark for three years.
Vast chasms exist between the most and least well-off in Southwark, with a shocking difference of 7 years in average life expectancy between the wealthiest and least affluent parts of Southwark . In an attempt to begin to lessen this gap, The Bridge began offering resources to make a healthy lifestyle more accessible.
may 2020
embrace the outdoors this Garden Day with Southwark based charity, The Bridge
The Bridge has been supporting health and wellbeing within the local community since 1932. Its mission is to reduce health inequalities, whilst supporting those from all walks of life. After a year of restrictions, Garden Day offered the perfect opportunity to host a series of wellness activities outdoors. The London Post followed our story.
jul 2020
strength is a mental battle as well as a physical one
A series of weekly features championing diversity in the world of sport and fitness ran in Metro magazine throughout summer 2020.
Our own fitness instructor Sam was willing to share her very personal journey, in order to help and inspire others.
You can read it here.
may 2019
there's a new breed of inclusive gyms in town
Our gym was featured in a trendy Refinery29 article about inclusive and body positive gyms. We were included because of the safe fitness space we offer for women.
Our women only gym and fitness classes look at health and wellbeing holistically & work alongside the goals and visions of our Charity. The exclusionary marketing of many gyms and the intimidating huddle of bros in weight areas has lead to a new wave of gyms and fitness phenomena, which includes us (!) alongside the countless other rebel groups working across the City.
Check out the full article here.
mar 2019
the woman’s guide to London
We were chuffed to be included in the Conde Naste Traveller’s digital magazine this month. Ranked in their top 10, we were listed alongside all-female swimming ponds and creative collectives for professionals. The list included a host of initiatives that are creating cool and inclusive spaces for women in the capital, and we are proud to be one of them.
Check out the full article here.
listen back to the show here.
nov 2018
smashing records radio
Sylvia (Healthy Lifestyle Coordinator), Dede (Health and Wellbeing Manager) and Mariza (SWAP graduate) from The Bridge were interviewed by Abs for the Smashing Records show on Resonance Radio.
The Smashing Records show is a series marking Disability History Month. Abs Tripp from DASL discusses how music fires people up to jump higher, ride further and shout louder.
Sylvia, Dede and Mariza talk about The Bridge’s health and wellbeing programmes and discuss their experiences of inclusive health and fitness. No vinyl will be harmed in the making of this show.
“Sarah is keen to point out that the Bridge isn’t solely focused on providing a male-free space, but also uplifting women and creating positive change within communities.”
nov 2018
sisters are doin' it for themselves
The Bridge’s Operations Manager, Sarah, was interviewed for a blog post about women only spaces. Stories of sexual harassment and women’s unequal experiences in society and “space” are rife in the media, but Laura’s blog highlights the detachment that people can feel from the issue.
While women-only spaces are few and far between in the UK, Laura was looking into their existence and exploring newly emerging spaces, such as women only festivals in Sweden.
Check out the “sisters are doin’ it for themselves: banning boys and the rise of female-only festivals” blog post here.
NB. Some opinions in this blog post were personal to Sarah’s own experiences.
sept 2018
health inequalities
Public Health England have published their most extensive report on the current and future health of the country to date. Research shows that women’s health in the UK is faring worse than their European counterparts (ranked 18th lowest out of 28 EU member states for premature death).
The research also showed the vast health inequalities in the UK, with those living in economically deprived areas suffering from poorer health. Many of the health burdens in the report could be alleviated with lifestyle and behavioural changes.
Channel 5 News visited The Bridge and spoke with our Healthy Lifestyle Coordinator, the Health and Wellbeing team and members of our women only gym to further understand the impact of these health inequalities at a community level.
Read the full Health Profile for England Report.
“weight is a risk factor but it is not the whole story.”
sept 2018
community air quality
The Bridge is one of ten local businesses to take part in a waste micro-consolidation scheme developed by BID leaders, Better Bankside. Running from April to November 2018, the pilot programme aims to reduce congestion in Bankside and help improve local air quality by reducing the number of waste vehicles on the roads.
Sarah Hicks, Operations Manager, was interviewed by BBC London News to give insight into being part of the scheme and the positive impact it is having in the area.
The risks associated with poor air quality is a very real threat to the health of Londoners. The Bridge aims to advocate and lead the way in improving the environment for the health of people living, working and visiting the area.
We have also been involved in the Keppel Row Garden project and Freight Reduction Programme to make the move towards further improving air quality in the area.
“it’s about looking at the local, very local, area around here, trying to reduce traffic and congestion for people”
aug 2018
healthy weight training
More than 6 in 10 adults on the streets of Southwark are overweight or have obesity. The Southwark Health and Wellbeing Board have prioritised tackling obesity across the borough.
As part of this commitment, The College of Contemporary Health has developed a healthy weight training course with the aim of improving the knowledge about obesity and the efficiently of the referral pathways across Southwark. We volunteered our time to the training videos.
View the full video here.
To take part in this training, you must work or practise within the London Borough of Southwark. More information about the free training here.
“every case is different; there is so much mental health attached to this.”
dec 2017
successful business women
Joy was approached by Southwark Business Today and was featured in an article about successful business woman in Southwark.
In her interview, she spoke about the SWAP and RISE programmes and the successful outcomes we have achieved with the women who attend these projects.
View the full article here.
“we can see our work making a real difference to women’s lives. Friendships have developed, their sense of wellbeing has improved and we are seeing better health.”