Club runners light up the roads to support Let’s Lift the Curfew
Last week’s club run proved to be a special one for Northowram Pumas, who took the opportunity to lend their support to Let’s Lift the Curfew, a national movement from This Girl Can.
The movement draws attention to the unwanted curfew many women feel during the darker months, when safety concerns limit their freedom to get active outdoors.
In support, Pumas dressed as brightly as they could, with additional lights, to light up the village of Northowram as they took part in their weekly run.
Club members were invited to bring along non-members to run with them to show solidarity and highlight the barriers many women face when exercising outside after dark.
Let’s Lift the Curfew launched in 2023 and has evolved into a national movement with an annual campaign moment when the clocks go back.
Now in its third year, the campaigns seeks to amplify women’s stories, promote allyship and encourage wider cultural awareness of the issues that prevent many from being active outdoors during the autumn and winter, from poor lighting to fear of harassment.
Kate Dale, Director of Marketing at Sport England and This Girl Can, said: “Every winter, many women are forced to adjust their routines, avoid certain routes or stop being active outdoors altogether, not because they want to, but because they don’t feel safe.
"It is a societal failure that women changing their behaviour is normalised, rather than changing the behaviour of those that make them feel unsafe. Let’s Lift the Curfew is about calling that out and demanding better.
“This year’s movement is powered by allies and communities everywhere who refuse to accept that women’s freedom should shrink when the sun goes down and the clocks go back.
"Together, we’re showing what real change looks like, one street, one run, one act of solidarity at a time.”
Everyone was encouraged to log their activity on Strava, label it ‘Let’s Lift the Curfew’, and share it on social media using the hashtag #LetsLiftTheCurfew, tagging @thisgirlcanuk to help amplify the message nationally.
Let’s Lift the Curfew is also a call to action. The movement urges communities, organisations and local authorities to contribute to lasting change, from fostering greater education and cultural awareness around women’s safety and allyship, to ensuring public spaces and outdoor areas are designed with women’s needs in mind.
Pumas hope this event will spark conversations and inspire practical steps to make our shared spaces safer, more welcoming, and truly open to everyone.