An innovative mum and baby group cycling class designed to help young mums re-engage with exercise has won a national award from the Sport England-backed Sportivate project.

Sports minister Tracey Crouch presented the ‘Project of the Year’ bronze award to Hannah Bryant – lead instructor for the sessions – at the annual Sportivate awards in the Houses of Parliament earlier this month.

The mum and baby group cycling initiative, devised by operator Places for People Leisure (PfPL) in partnership with Eastleigh Borough Council’s SportWorks programme, was launched in January 2015 after Sportivate funding was secured from Sport Hampshire & IOW.

The classes at PfPL’s Fleming Park Leisure Centre aimed to find an easy and enjoyable way for new mothers to start or return to exercise. Initially targeting young mums aged 16-25 due to the high rate of teenage pregnancy identified in the Eastleigh area, the project has since expanded, delivering three classes a week.

The music, lights, and room layout, are all modified to enable mums to participate in an indoor cycling class while bringing their babies along in their buggies or car seats, meaning no need to find childcare. The £2 classes offer the chance for participants to meet other new mums in an understanding environment, which enables them to go at their own pace and attend to their babies needs as and when they need to.

“The project is the perfect activity for which new mothers can engage in exercise; overcoming some of the barriers that they may face in their everyday lives,” said Harry Lee, SportWorks Activator at Eastleigh Borough Council.

“We will be looking towards rolling out similar projects which continue to cater to the needs of new parents across the borough on the back of the success that the mum and baby group cycling class has achieved.”

Sportivate is a £56m Lottery funded London 2012 legacy project that gives 14-25 year-olds who are not particularly sporty access to six-to-eight weeks' of free or subsidised coaching in a range of sports. Sportivate launched in June 2011 as a four-year programme but, due to its success, additional funding of £10m per year has been invested, allowing the programme to run until March 2017.