Rossendale Works, a collaborative project between Rossendale Borough Council, Active Lancashire, and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), has launched a new women’s-only boxing session at NGB Bacup, aiming to support wellbeing and provide pathways into employment.
Led by local coach Jude Allan, the free weekly sessions are open to women of all ages and fitness levels. Designed to be inclusive and empowering, the sessions focus on improving mental and physical health while also creating a supportive space to connect with others.
Participants will also have access to tailored employability support through the Rossendale Works programme, which has a proven track record of success—having helped over 400 people into employment in the past six years. The programme uses physical activity as a gateway to mental wellbeing and employability support, offering a wide range of free, weekly activities.
The sessions began after Jude, a Boxing and Fitness Instructor, began attending Rossendale Works’ Boxercise Group at Love Boxing. After becoming acquainted with staff members, Jude realised there was a need for a female-only session to encourage more women to access physical activity and wellbeing support, and began working with Employability Support Officer Geraldine Coogan to bring the sessions to life.
Coach Jude, who is currently seeking sponsorship as she enters professional boxing, is excited to offer the sessions, stating “All of the staff at Rossendale Works are lovely and made me feel so welcome when I attended the Boxercise class, so I wanted to support them and help them to reach more women who are looking to become physically active and also access the additional support that Rossendale Works offer.
“My sessions offer a range of boxing techniques which help to build stamina and strength, as well as conditioning. The classes are designed for those of all abilities and are a fun, safe space to increase your physical wellbeing whilst meeting new people.”
Rossendale Works continues to innovate in how it engages the local community, and these new sessions demonstrate a growing recognition of the value of sport and physical activity in tackling social and economic challenges.
For more information on the free session, or any of Rossendale Works’ other support, please visit www.activelancashire.org.uk or email [email protected].
For more information on private fitness sessions or to sponsor Jude’s professional career, please email [email protected]
