A ladies-only fitness class, launched with support from Bedford Borough Council, is celebrating its 10th birthday this month.
Fitnisa was founded in 2014 by Fsella Afzal-Pagliari after she couldn’t find a women-only group in Bedford.
Undeterred, Fsella decided to set one up herself and the group now runs sessions twice a week at Queens Park Community Centre. The group is open to women of all ages, backgrounds and abilities with guidance from a fully-qualified female instructor.
“Joining a class was something I wanted to do for a couple of reasons, but it was surprisingly difficult to find one that suited me,” said Fsella.
“One place did have classes for women only – but there were men coming in and out of the room, and that’s not something everybody feels comfortable with.
“I contacted the Sports Development Team at Bedford Borough Council, and I was amazed at how attentive they were to the dilemma – they advised me that if I could find the venue and demonstrate that there would be demand for the class, that funding could be made available.”
The group now has more than 100 members and provides affordable and accessible classes for women. Any woman over the age of 18 is welcome to attend.
“The classes aren’t just beneficial for your physical well-being,” said Fsella.
“The group is good for mental health, and it’s a great place to make friends. It’s a support network, a place to have a laugh, and a way to work off your frustrations. Whatever your budget, background or fitness level, if you’d feel more comfortable in a women-only group then come and join us.”
Bedford Borough Council’s portfolio holder for leisure and culture said that the success of Finisa is a great example of the work that the Sports Development team does.
Cllr Sarah Gallagher said: “The most important thing with community projects is to have them led by someone who the target audience trust and identify with – and that is what happened here.
“Sports Development is all about helping to grow projects and, ideally, getting them to a stage where they can sustain themselves, as
well as helping them through the maze of possible grant funding applications.
“Fsella is an inspirational and hard-working lady who really only needed a little support and encouragement from us. Her hard work and dedication has made Fitnisa what it now is.”
You can find out more about Fitnisa by emailing fsella@hotmail.co.uk
