A new weekly fitness class “with a twist” will be open to women who want to get fit, make new friends and seek advice.

Sofia’s Fitness and Wellbeing Classes will go ahead from April 24 at the Asda Community Hall in Watford and run for nine weeks.

The classes are exclusively for women, and in addition to getting active with fitness instructor Sofia Shamimi from Pinner, there will be advice on a range of other issues from health to financial worries.

The initiative came from a joint partnership between Hertfordshire Constabulary and Labour Cllr Bilqees Mauthoor.  

Cllr Mauthoor said: “The reason I am doing it is to reach out to women who are hard to reach, who are at home isolated and who want more activities.

“My aim is to help all women but especially black, Asian and minority ethnic women to exercise with a twist.

Cllr Mathoor said there will be various voluntary organisations available at the one-hour sessions to deliver domestic violence advice, law firms to discuss financial matters, and a GP for self-assessment advice on breast cancer.

The Safer Neighbourhood team will attend.

Cllr Mathoor will appear at the first two sessions and said she wants to “bring communities together”, “empower women” and address “loneliness in Watford”.

These new sessions follow the success of English language and sewing classes Cllr Mathoor created in 2015.

Sessions will run every Tuesday for nine weeks, 10am to 11.30am.

For bookings contact 07958566037 or email bilqees.mauthoor@gmail.com or Sofiashamimi@hotmail.com