BBC News, Yorkshire
BBCWomen in North Yorkshire are backing a campaign to challenge ageism and promote “self-acceptance”.
On Friday, women aged 40 and over gathered at Scarborough’s North Bay for a body positivity event to mark the launch of Accepting Who We Are (AWWA).
AWWA is the brainchild of model and body confidence activist Rachel Peru and self-employed businesswoman Tina Boden.
Ms Boden, 57, said: “I think it’s important that we, as women in our midlife, accept who we are and have that confidence to do what we want to do, in the clothes we want to wear.”
Ms Peru, 47, added: “We’re so excited. To see women coming here today, people we’ve never met before, joining us on the beach in their swimwear and strutting their stuff – it’s a really special day.”
The pair decided to collaborate after Ms Peru convinced Ms Boden to walk in the My Generation Runway Show during York Fashion Week.
Ms Boden was then inspired to join a later-life model agency and compete in beauty pageants, ultimately being crowned Mrs North Yorkshire Galaxy 24/25.
As part of the competition she had to model swimwear, which she said would have been out of her comfort zone before.
This helped to partially inspired the AWWA campaign, as well as addressing a lack of representation for older women in swimwear campaigns, according to Ms Peru.
Whitby-based photographer Mary Davies staged a photoshoot for the women, encouraging them to pose for individual and group shots.
Getting the perfect angle is just one part of the wider campaign, said Ms Peru.
She explained: “It’s not just about taking some amazing photographs, it’s about creating a safe space where people can come and enjoy the beach, whatever shape or size they are, really come together and just have fun, and forget about those body insecurities we all struggle with.”
The group consisted of a mix of body confidence activists, retirees and others who had seen the event being promoted on social media.
Debs Daitani, 51, travelled all the way from Shropshire to attend the event, calling it a “no-brainer”.
“To me, it’s massively important because when you go through this midlife transition, in particular to menopause, so many things can fall by the wayside,” she said.
“Women need to know they still have a lot of life left to live – I feel like I’m living proof of that.
“This is the biggest size I’ve ever been, this is also the oldest I’ve ever been but I’m also the most confident I’ve ever been and I want other women to feel the same.”
Annie Stoke, 75, said she had borrowed her designer sunglasses from her granddaughter, who had apparently conceded that she wore them better.
She said while she “hadn’t quite dared” to put on a bikini, age certainly was not a factor in what she chose to wear.
“We’re all different shapes and sizes, we’ve all got tummies and wobbly bits – it does not matter one single bit. If you want to do something, just go right ahead and do it,” she said.
“There’s nothing stopping you. You don’t have to be beach ready, you are beach ready.
“Just put your cozzie on and just be confident about getting out there because the sisterhood are all supporting each other.”
Ms Peru and Ms Boden said they hope to host more events for midlife women in the future.
“It’s all not making ourselves invisible. This is about creating a community of women who all support each other,” Ms Boden added.
