About

The Sisters' Walking Group project

This website shares guidance for creating walking groups for Muslim mothers.

This guidance is based on a project developed together with Muslim mothers, community organisations and professionals, funded by the NIHR Three Research Schools’ Mental Health Programme.

We know that many women can feel lonely after having a baby, and that this can affect their mental health. Muslim mothers may also face additional challenges in accessing support, and may prefer options that feel more informal and community-based.

Previous work suggested that walking groups could be a helpful way to bring women together, reduce loneliness and support wellbeing. However, there has been less understanding of how these groups should be run, who should lead them, and how to understand their impact. This project aimed to explore these questions by working closely with mothers to design a walking group approach and create practical guidance and tools to support it in real-world settings.

Who this guidance is for

This guidance is designed for community organisations, charities, faith groups and local services who want to support Muslim mothers through simple community‑led activities.

You do not need clinical expertise or existing walking groups to use this guidance. It is intended for organisations working directly with women and families who want to create safe, supportive spaces rooted in community knowledge.

Why this work matters

Many women experience emotional challenges during pregnancy and early motherhood. However, not all feel able to access existing support.

Muslim mothers may face additional barriers, including:

• Limited culturally appropriate services
• Concerns around safety and comfort in public spaces
• Stigma around mental health

This project focuses on creating simple community-led approaches that feel safe, accessible and meaningful.

What we did

The project ran between July 2025 and March 2026. We worked closely with Muslim mothers and community research link workers to explore how walking groups could support wellbeing, understand experiences and needs, and to design an approach that felt meaningful.

This project included:

• Focus groups with Muslim mothers to explore ideas for a walking group
• Focus groups with professionals to understand how a walking group could be delivered in practice
• Co-design discussions to develop project images and materials
• Pilot walking events in East London and Bristol, which combined walking, shared food and opportunities to connect
• Ongoing feedback discussions with advisory groups to refine the approach and develop this guidance

What we found

Walking groups were highly valued by mothers as a simple and meaningful way to support wellbeing and connection for Muslim mothers.

We found that walking groups worked best when they:

• Felt safe and non-judgemental, allowing women to feel comfortable attending and returning
• Created opportunities for connection, where women could share experiences and feel understood by others
• Were small and consistent, helping to build trust and familiarity over time
• Were designed with cultural understanding in mind, so that women felt respected and included

Safety and a sense of belonging were central to engagement. Many women described feeling more comfortable in spaces where they were with others who shared similar experiences and could relate to their situation.

We also found that practical considerations played an important role. Factors such as familiar locations, appropriate timing and flexibility for babies and children all influenced whether women felt able to attend.

What this website offers

This website provides practical, community-informed guidance to help organisations:

• Plan and run walking groups
• Create safe and inclusive environments
• Adapt approaches to their local community
• Support connection and wellbeing in a non-clinical setting

It also includes downloadable resources and links to facilitator training to support implementation in practice.

Our approach

This work is grounded in a co-design approach, meaning that the guidance has been shaped by the experiences and input of the communities it is intended to support.

We prioritised collaboration with community members, flexibility and adaptability and practical real-world application.