Our Impact
Local impact for women in Wandsworth
Women come together to move, and to sit down afterwards with people they did not arrive with. Read women’s accounts of attending and findings from a 2024 study of Fitwell.
Estimated social value
£78,708
Combined benefits for five surveyed Fitwell participants.
Rocket Science’s 2024 Battersea Alliance case study. The estimate describes this survey group, not everyone who attends.
Read the findings and sourceIndependent research
Fitwell: what the study found
Fitwell brings women together on Monday mornings for exercise and time with familiar faces.
Rocket Science’s 2024 analysis estimated £78,708 in combined social value for five surveyed Fitwell participants. Social value assigns monetary estimates to benefits such as wellbeing and confidence. This is not money raised or an annual total for everyone who attends.
£22,760
Mental and social wellbeing
£14,620
New skills and knowledge
£14,016
Self-esteem and confidence
£11,875
Financial stability
£15,437
Other social and health benefits (four categories combined)
Source: Battersea Alliance SROI Report, Rocket Science, 2024, page 28. These estimates cover five survey participants. The amounts represent benefits valued by the study, including financial stability; they are not payments to participants.
Women’s experiences
In women’s own words
Priya, Fatima and Amira describe what attending has meant to them.
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“No drama, no judgement, nothing like that. Just proper women looking out for each other. My stress is so much better since I started.”
Priya · Wandsworth Town -
“I came expecting a health talk. I walked out three friends richer and feeling a lightness I haven’t felt in years. It’s rare to find a space where you actually feel seen.”
Fatima · Battersea -
“Mashallah, I tried so many gyms but never felt like I belonged. Here the women are like sisters. I actually look forward to Mondays now.”
Amira · Tooting
Activities and experiences
Community support in practice
The NHS account of Communi-TEA, our own 2026 survey and the Fitwell study describe the activities and what participants reported.
Communi-TEA
The need
The NHS account describes women seeking help to understand local health services.
The activity
Nasiya and Shannon organised Communi-TEA at Caius House in 2023. More than 50 women attended for health checks, workshops and afternoon tea.
June 2026
We held Communi-TEA again at Battersea Arts Centre on 6 June 2026. Of the 35 women who answered our survey afterwards, 34 said the afternoon had helped them feel more connected to other local women. That is feedback on one afternoon, from the women who chose to answer.
One attendee’s account
Attendee Mahum told the NHS she found useful health information and learnt about services she could use.
Read the NHS accountFitwell
The need
The 2024 study describes barriers some women faced in mixed-gender exercise spaces.
The activity
The study describes women-only fitness sessions alongside wellbeing talks and signposting.
What participants reported
All five surveyed participants reported a stronger sense of community. These findings describe that small group.
Read the Fitwell case studyMedia
Her Way Forward in the community
Bringing Battersea Together: Qcast Interviews (2/3)
29 November 2024
Bringing Battersea Together: Qcast Interviews (3/3)
30 November 2024
Article · NHS South West London
Fill your cup of Communi-TEA with Battersea Mosque
The NHS article covers the Communi-TEA event at Caius House and the local organisers who brought women together for health advice.
23 March 2023
Read the NHS account →How we know
Understanding the evidence
Attendance records show who comes; surveys and personal accounts describe participants’ experiences.
01
Attendance tracking
Session registers record attendance. A woman attending three sessions counts as three visits and one participant.
02
Fitwell survey
The Fitwell study used five survey responses. Its findings describe those respondents.
03
Testimonials and stories
These are individual experiences, rather than findings from a survey of everyone who attends.
04
Published sources
The linked sources give the study findings and the NHS account of the 2023 Communi-TEA event. The 2026 Communi-TEA survey is our own, with 35 responses.
Documents
Governance Documents
Articles, CIC36, and board information.
Safeguarding Policy (PDF)
Our policy for keeping women and volunteers safe.
Need documents for funding or partnership decisions? Email info@herwayforward.co.uk
The next step
Help women keep meeting
Support the sessions where women exercise, share tea and spend time together.
If you would like to fund a particular session, contact us about its current costs and what your contribution could cover.