The Single Homeless Project focuses on removing the barriers that those experiencing homelessness face when accessing physical activity.
These include financial constraints, digital exclusion, no access to clothing and equipment, low self-esteem and confidence, stigma and assumptions made about them not wanting to access sport.
Over the last year, Eloise has worked to introduce a women-specific area of the project alongside the current sport offer, ensuring that the benefits of physical activity can reach all those experiencing homelessness, no matter their gender.
This included introducing women-only sessions, with female instructors who were trauma-informed and delivered the sessions in safe spaces. The introduction of these saw an 86 per cent increase in female participants in the project.
Jo Sayer, our strategic lead for communications, said it was a pleasure to see Eloise honoured.
"Eloise has helped scores of people that are experiencing homelessness to get involved with sport, allowing them to feel a sense of normality while meeting new people and having fun,” she said.
"The sport sessions have also been a gateway to conversations about health and have opened up opportunities for life-enhancing wraparound care to be provided.
"For This Girl Can, it was a natural choice to partner with The Sunday Times - who have been long-term supporters of women's sport - to help showcase women around the country that are helping others find the joy and reap the benefits of playing sport and getting active.
"We were blown away by the number of nominations we received."
The other women nominated for the award were Michele Glassup, for her work with parkrun and the Feltham Young Offenders Institute, Amy Cooper for her work with Onboard Skatepark, and Mahvish Akram of WBC Women’s Boxing Club.
In total, seven awards were handed out at the ceremony. Four were decided by a panel of distinguished judges that included Jessica Ennis-Hill, Tanni Grey-Thompson and Ama Agbeze, while the other three categories were decided by the general public.
