A Manchester mum has secured almost 拢350,000 of National Lottery funding through Sport England for a new app that is designed to get mums back into fitness.
Buump Active is the first social connection platform in the world designed to keep new mums active after having a baby.
Sport England has identified becoming a new mum as one of the key times in life when fitness levels can drop.
The brainchild of Manchester mum-of-two Rebecca Bishop, Buump Active is now accepting pre-sign ups to the platform, which is due for launch in Manchester in April.
After having two daughters and experiencing the social isolation and difficult road back to fitness that being a new mum can bring, Bishop, 36, wanted to develop an easy-to-use app that enabled fellow mums to make friends, meet up, get active and achieve their goals.
鈥淎ll mums know how difficult it is to regain those post-baby fitness levels, but it鈥檚 so crucial to your mental health and physical wellbeing to get active again and not lose that important part of your identity,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t can be hard doing it alone, so Buump Active connects new mums and mums to be so they can meet up, get out and get active together.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so much better when you have friends there to inspire you and keep you accountable. We want mums to Belong, Dream, Believe and Achieve – the Buump Active pillars for success.
鈥淵ou might want to join your local Parkrun, find a gym buddy or find a friend to accompany you to buggy fitness, but whatever your plans, Buump Active can help.
鈥淔rom access to live-streamed HIIT classes you can do at home to build your confidence, to suggested friends and great challenges you can be part of, we鈥檝e created a fun, inclusive way to feel like your best you.
鈥淢anchester is my home, so it鈥檚 a great privilege to launch Buump Active here. After Manchester, the app will be rolled out throughout the UK on a city by city basis, so I am looking forward to the feedback we receive from fellow Manchester mums!
鈥淲e are sure that mums from Manchester will get behind Buump Active, and we can鈥檛 wait to see them start sharing their fitness journeys with us.鈥�
Sport England’s director of sport Phil Smith said: 鈥淲e know that when life changes, activity habits can change too.
鈥淪tarting a family comes with big challenges for even the most committed to sport and fitness. Some people find their way back into the routine, but many find it tough to get active again in a way that fits their new life.
鈥淭hanks to money raised by National Lottery players, Buump Active will support new mums to start or continue to enjoy the physical and mental benefits of getting active.鈥�
As a business development and philanthropy professional, Bishop has spent much of her career in the Third Sector. She specialises in personal philanthropy: building relationships with individuals who wish to change the world with something they are passionate about.
She was awarded the 老九品茶 Development Professional of the Year accolade at the Made in Manchester Awards 2015, and she was also recognised as Jo Malone CBE鈥檚 Inspirational Woman in Glamour UK Magazine鈥檚 International Women鈥檚 Day issue in 2015.
Buump Active can be downloaded for free for iOS and Android, and social communities can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.