All-women boat club using London’s oldest canal

“When you actually get out on the water, it’s amazing, it’s really calm, it just gives you a sense of joy.”

Ruhana Ali is one of the members of Oar and Explore, an all-woman boat club which operates on the Limehouse Cut, London’s oldest canal.

More than 120 women, mostly Muslim or global majority, are part of the east London club, which started as a pilot two years ago.

“What’s really amazing about this boat club is we’ve got women in all shapes and sizes dressed however they want to dress as comfortably as they can and they’re out on the water and they’re enjoying it,” Ms Ali adds.

She added: “I think that’s what’s really wonderful about our community and that’s what’s really wonderful about London, actually, that you can try new things as crazy as they are and really have a good time.

“We get waves, we get funny looks when we’re on the water like ‘what are those strange group of ladies doing?’ But we wave, we say hello.

“It makes your mood even happier when we’re on the water so it’s just a really nice thing to be able to do and share.”

Babu Bhattacherjee, director of communities and neighbourhoods at the Poplar HARCA housing association, said the women were “reclaiming the water”.

He said: “In east London we have these lovely spaces but over time they’ve become a bit unsafe and people are bit worried about them so it’s really great to work with local women to create something that is fun, brings people together and enjoy these great blue spaces that we have in London.”