Rewriting the Story: Leicester Nirvana and Womentum CIC Team Up to Protect and Empower Local Women
How structured wellbeing sessions, plant-based cooking, and pitch walks are helping local women with lived experiences find their voice.
A unique collaboration showing a grassroots sports ground can become a crucial part of the solution for female safety and healing.
For the past 9 months, grassroots football club Leicester Nirvana has been working to support local women with lived experiences, helping them write an entirely new chapter in their stories.
By teaming up with local empowerment group Womentum, the club has delivered creative, supportive wellbeing sessions specifically designed for women who need it most. While on a clear mission to grow women’s and girls’ football, Leicester Nirvana is equally determined to create an inclusive environment that is genuinely welcoming, safe, and holistic.
As part of these structured wellbeing sessions delivered by Womentum, vulnerable women have been given a dedicated space and the absolute freedom to heal and grow at their own pace. What started as a safe haven has quickly evolved into an active community of growth; attendees are now cooking healthy plant-based meals together, walking miles around the Leicester Nirvana football pitch, and actively supporting one another to explore their personal and professional ambitions.
Mumtaz Patel, Director of Womentum, highlighted the profound impact of the collaboration:
“Leicester Nirvana gave us a platform and we built a community. Week by week, that platform became a trusted space where women found connection, confidence, and the courage to grow. As the programme evolved, so did the women within it, many discovering strengths they never knew they had and encouraging others to do the same.”
“This is more than a partnership. It's proof that when grassroots organisations open their doors to purpose-driven ideas, communities can become part of the solution to preventing violence against women and girls.”
Leicester Nirvana is acutely aware that football remains a traditionally male-dominated sport but recognises the massive cultural shift currently underway to grow the female game. The club is looking beyond traditional coaching to break down barriers to entry.
In an official statement, a spokesperson for Leicester Nirvana noted:
“Our aim was to support women who have not yet been introduced to a football environment, in an authentic way. True inclusion means meeting people where they are. By focusing on physical and emotional wellbeing first, we are showing that our club belongs to the entire community, and that a football ground can be a sanctuary for healing, health, and female empowerment.”
This groundbreaking initiative forms a core part of Leicester Nirvana’s pioneering LEAF (Leicester Eco-Action Football) project, which is proudly funded by the National Lottery and delivered in close collaboration with De Montfort University (DMU). By integrating plant-based nutrition, physical activity, and emotional safety, the programme directly advances United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) and Goal 5 (Gender Equality). This powerful academic and community framework demonstrates how grassroots sports hubs can successfully operationalise global sustainability goals to deliver tangible, life-changing local impact.
If you would like to get involved, attend or discuss how we can work in partnership, please contact womentumcic@yahoo.com or leicesternirvana@hotmail.com
