Staying out of lane

Bristol Stepping Sistas is more than a walking group – it’s my walking group. Mine and that of the amazing women who've walked with me since 2021.

Together we are an award-winning walking group that enables us to reach out to other women in the Bristol area and encourage them to thrive in open spaces through the simple (yet powerful) activity of walking.

At the core, we are a grassroots group of Black women and women of colour who are passionate about walking and who want to share their identity and their lived experience.

We started to apply for funding so the group could carry on as it offers a well-needed support and it was great when Sport England was able to help us.

We regularly organise walks and we aim to cover different distances to keep our activities interesting for everybody, whether you want to stay close to home or you fancy venturing further. 

In any case, our aim is to help motivate women of colour to visit places they would not have ventured to otherwise, including rural areas around Bristol and further afield in the South-West; routes, all of them, that can be of interest for our women beyond the city borders.

Why we do what we do

Historically, women of colour have not always been up for exploring new, unfamiliar spaces where they feel they could be exposed, judged and/or remarked upon.

This has led to the feeling that we have to 'stay within our lanes', but at Bristol Stepping Sistas we want our women to break any limitation and stay out any of those lanes, so we can all thrive in the new experiences that come with that change of scenery.

We want to encourage women to step across these boundaries (physical and non-physical) and push their limits but, at the same time, to do so in the safety and the company of others who may have had similar experiences of discrimination and disadvantage.
 

Ultimately, we want to enable the activity of walking to be fun, uplifting and enriching to the lives of women of colour, regardless of their walking experience.

Because, for us, walking is more than putting a foot in front of the other and we're definitely not here to cover distances within a set time.

We couldn't care less about that!

At its core, the group is about walking but we use it as an excuse and an opportunity to chat, to reflect and to thrive in nature.

We use the enjoyment and appreciation of open spaces and environments to help address issues of mental health, which I can see have been on the increase in the last few years.

More than walking

So when we meet, we walk and talk about ourselves, our cultures, our favourite dishes and ingredients.

We mention recommendations of new places to go on holidays, other groups we may know and love, and we do all of that while enjoying the fresh perspective that only nature can give us.

So, basically, we talk and we walk, and then we walk and we talk some more. It’s brilliant!

There’s been some excellent feedback from the members that mention how Bristol Stepping Sistas has been a positive, life-changing experience for them.

Our typical walking day is always about fun and there are so many smiles and so much laughter coming from our women, plus our sessions also allow us to meet new members in the group.

There has been a lot to learn in the last four years, but organising the walks is super exciting and every time we go out I look forward to seeing our walkers enjoying and embracing the environment and, of course, improving their wellbeing.

At the end of the day we may end up in a cosy country pub for a well-deserved recovery lunch to get some energy back. It really is great!

As well as creating Bristol Stepping Sisters, I have also provided the first aid outdoor training for 24 women from the group, from which I’m happy to say we’ve all passed!

I’ve also provided the walk leader training for six other women from the group.

My dream is that, together, we keep walking and enjoying every step we take, breaking any fear or boundaries that dare stay in our way.