Colchester Islamic Cultural Association
Inclusive activities for the islamic community
Through funding, the Colchester Islamic Cultural Association (CICA) delivered 4 programmes for adults, children and families, which consisted of activities such as football, badminton, karate and cricket.
As many members of the Muslim community in Colchester are front line workers, they struggle to engage in physical activity away from their working environment, specifically due to the cost of living crisis. Many members felt isolated and lonely, therefore the project has given them the motivation to get out of the house and find their active.
This project was funded through the Sport England Together Fund, and Active Essex worked with CICA to pilot this project for 20 weeks, allowing local facilities to host activities like football, badminton, karate and cricket. The Essex Local Delivery Pilot have helped to expand capacity by scaling and replicating the project which will increase the number of people accessing this programme and therefore engaging in physical activity.
The project has had a positive impact on the members of the community, improving connections, improving mental wellbeing and encouraging future engagement in physical activity. It was reported that 88% of participants increased their confidence to be more active.
