Fiona Roberts on Rebuilding Strength: How theMovement Charity Restores Women's Right to Exercise
Exercise is often talked about as a universal good, something everyone can benefit from if they simply choose to prioritize it. But for women recovering from abuse, trafficking, or homelessness, access to movement is rarely that simple. Trauma, financial insecurity, low confidence, and unstable housing can all stand between a woman and a safe space to move her body, even when the benefits to her mental and physical health are exactly what she needs most.
This is the gap that Fiona Roberts set out to close when she founded theMovement Charity. A Personal Trainer who saw both the transformative power of exercise and the privilege embedded in accessing it, Fiona built theMovement in partnership with charities across London to deliver free, trauma-informed fitness programmes for women impacted by domestic abuse, trafficking, and homelessness. Led by volunteer fitness professionals, these sessions are designed around autonomy, choice, and emotional safety, creating room for women to rebuild strength and confidence on their own terms.
We spoke with Fiona about what inspired theMovement, the barriers they're working to dismantle, and their vision for expanding trauma-informed fitness beyond London and into the wider industry.
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Q: What inspired you to start?
As a woman, it is difficult not to notice the additional barriers and disadvantages we face. For many years I have striven to advocate for and support women in both my personal and professional life, particularly survivors of abuse and homelessness. Over time I became increasingly aware of the privileges I held and how different my experience could have so easily been. Alongside this, I had personal experiences of the positive impact of exercise on my physical and mental health. Through these experiences, I realised that it was a privilege to access exercise and that there are many barriers to exercise, financial, emotional, and systemic, that we often don’t think about if we do not face them personally. As I was also a Personal Trainer, I looked for organisations to volunteer or work for to address this issue, but struggled to find any. I decided to take action myself and started theMovement Charity.
Q: What problem are you solving?
At theMovement, we believe every woman deserves access to the life-enhancing benefits of movement. Exercise has proven power to lift mood, build self-esteem, and support mental wellbeing - yet women who are survivors of abuse, exploitation and homelessness are among the least likely to access it. Barriers such as the impact of trauma, financial insecurity, low confidence, social stigma, and unstable housing mean that too many women are excluded from spaces where they can move safely and freely. TheMovement works to change this; in collaboration with partner charities, we offer free, trauma-informed fitness programmes specifically designed for women impacted by domestic abuse, trafficking and homelessness and led by fitness professional volunteers. By removing financial, social, and emotional barriers to exercise, we create safe, supportive, and non-judgemental spaces where women can build strength. Our trauma-informed approach is fundamental: we centre autonomy, choice, and emotional safety in every session, recognising that healing must happen on each woman’s own terms. Through movement, we see women reconnect with their bodies, rebuild confidence, and take powerful steps forward in their recovery journeys.
Q: What's next for you?
TheMovement's vision is a more equitable future, where wellbeing and movement are truly accessible to all. I would love to see our project expand beyond London, breaking down barriers to exercise for many more women. As a small charity founder, I often feel frustrated by the disparity between the need we have identified and the funding available to achieve our goals, so this is something I am currently navigating. I am also looking towards growing opportunities to disrupt the fitness industry as a whole, making it safer and more welcoming for survivors. TheMovement is making strides in this through our trauma informed practice training opportunities and I am excited to see the potential impact.
Are you a woman leader with an inspiring story? Founded by Women elevates the voices of women making an impact.
Breaking barriers or paving the way for others? We'd love to feature you. Get in touch! 👉 hi@foundedbywomen.org
