A new well-being project is encouraging Bradford women to make themselves and their communities healthier by boxing clever.

Womenzone, a female-only community centre based at Hubert Street, off Leeds Road, has started its Healthier Women, Healthier Communities scheme by organising a self care day to get more women in the Bowling and Barkerend areas of the city signed up.

And boxercise is just one of the ways they are hoping will get women in shape and in return shape up their communities.

Project co-odinator Nadia Shehzad said: “I am really excited about the difference the project can make on the health of local women and their families. The Healthier Women project will offer much needed services for women who are isolated and marginalised for cultural reasons.”

The project will be encouraging women to get fitter by going along to exercise classes including gym work and even boxercise classes.

Rukhsana Mahmood (pictured) has lost almost three stones in weight after only four months of taking part in WomenZone activities.

The project is being funded by NHS Bradford District & Bradford City Clinical Commissioning Groups to help improve the physical and mental health of Black Minority Ethnic women living in inner-city areas through community activities.

This activities and health awareness messages will be rolling out to Bolton and Undercliffe as well as Bradford Moor and the city wards.

Some of the activities will also go on to be led by volunteers and the project will also host a series of free events to raise awareness about diabetes, GP services, health visitors, midwives, dieticians, podiatrist, pharmacy, dentist and optometry services.

“Often in BME families, women are responsible for the health and wellbeing of the whole family. The health gain is for women, their families and the community as a whole,” Miss Shehzad said.