The Sähëlï Way
At Sähëlï Hub, we do things differently. Our winning formula is always to deliver:
In the right way
At the right time
With the right instructors
In the right place
In a fun way
For the long term.
These are our six foundation stones. We call this, ‘The Sähëlï Way’.
Why do we need to do things differently?
- In order to properly engage with our communities, provision needs to be culturally appropriate
- Women-onlyprovision is essential for many women in our communities
- Participation is also very much affected by people’s age, existing levels of ability, confidence and socio-economic factors
- The cost of participating can be a major barrier
- Red tape can make it harder for some to participate
- Opportunities to participate need to be local to where people live and recognise that the urban environment in our neighbourhoods can alienate some
- Seeing is believing, which is why representation – amongst staff, volunteers and participants is so important
- Delivery needs to be with communities, not to
Start your adventure with Sähëlï Hub...
We think that if you get the offer right for those least likely to participate, the rest will follow. But, after 20 years, we’re still not seeing all the change we need. This is why we are busy trying to scale up and better resource our own provision whilst helping other organisations, big and small, to follow our model.
To bring this change we need to embed physical activity in communities so that it becomes part of the every day. This means:
- Understanding you community and giving what they want (what they really, really want)
- Going where the people are (because they often won’t come to you)
- Building relationships with the communities you’d like to come through your door
- Not imposing short-term models of delivery that get people started, but then abandon them
- Recruiting, growing, mentoring and training a workforce that reflects the communities you serve
- Starting at the right level … for … every … single … participant
- Creating partnerships of equals between national bodies for sport and local delivery organisations – a win-win for both parties.
No one explains The Sähëlï Way better than our wonderful participants…
Shamim’s story
Shamim started her cycling journey with SähëlïHub 5 years ago following a referral from her GP.
Unick’s story
Unick spoke about joining our CAPD (Culturally Appropriate Prevention of Diabetes) programme and how she has integrated it into her lifestyle.
Sheila’s story
75 year old Sheila has been coming to the SähëlïHub arts and crafts sessions every Wednesday for several years.