Abstract
This paper presents an evaluation of a project undertaken in Bolton to improve the health of Asian women through the creation and promotion of opportunities for participation in exercise and physical activity. Asian communities in the United Kingdom tend to experience significantly poorer health than white communities and also to exhibit lower rates of participation in exercise and sport than the majority population. This project thus offered an opportunity to explore methods through which community sport development managers might support the government?s aim of effecting an increase in physical activity amongst Asian communities as a means of improving health. The research was conducted primarily through semi-structured interviews with female Asian volunteers who undertook a training programme to develop exercise and fitness activities within their communities. The success of the project was attributable to a number of factors, most importantly the educational background of the volunteers.