PRESS RELEASE
#RunAndTalk to support Time to Talk Day
Muddy Runners are pleased to be supporting #RunAndTalk an England Athletics campaign, supported by Mind the mental health charity, to improve mental wellbeing through running and to break down the stigma associated with mental health by getting people talking about it. The event follows on from previous successful #RunAndTalk events including in October 2018 in support of World Mental Health Day which saw around 200 organised runs to support mental wellbeing through running.
During the week of 2nd-8th February 2019 we’re encouraging people to run one mile or further and to have a chat with friends, family, colleagues or other runners. This can be done at a time and location of their choice or by joining one of the organised runs at an England Athletics club or RunTogether group.
The event is supported by a network of over 480 volunteer England Athletics Mental Health Champions who are active in affiliated athletics and running clubs and RunTogether groups across England to support those of us who are experiencing mental health problems. The support available includes helping people to start running, get back into running, or continue running as well as to improve the mental wellbeing of their existing members.
The #RunAndTalk campaign aims to improve mental health through running in England by:
Getting people talking about mental health, sharing their experiences and removing stigma
Raising awareness of mental health problems
Supporting people experiencing mental health problems to be physically active through running, whether that is to support them in starting, returning to or continuing to run
We’re often told that physical activity is good for our bodies and our minds but having a mental health problem can make it difficult to get started, for a number of reasons, ranging from negative body image, or a lack of self-esteem through to practical reasons such as having no one to go with, or not knowing where to get started.
Muddy Runners are organising a run on Monday 4th February at 7.30pm from outside YESSS Electrical, Andover Trade Park, Weyhill Road, Andover SP10 3UX. The run will be 3k and 5k and will include options for walking, jogging and running so everyone is welcome whether you are new to running, looking to get back into it or a regular runner.
The run is supported by our volunteer Mental Health Champions, who are passionate about improving mental wellbeing through running – Kate, Gemma, Maxine and Katy.
To register to join us on the run visit https://groups.runtogether.co.uk/MuddyRunners/Runs/Summary/cade9b69-f054-4406-ac9e-e3f3edb71c7b
Or for more information contact: Kate Bone on 07824 549015
Join the conversation on social media using #RunAndTalk.
Search for and join a #RunAndTalk organised run at- www.runandtalk.co.uk
ENDS
England Athletics
England Athletics develops grass roots athletics and running in England, supporting affiliated clubs to prosper, developing more and better coaches, recruiting and supporting volunteers and officials. England Athletics provides and supports competition opportunities at an international (England representative), national, area and county level. England Athletics also delivers campaigns and products to inspire and provide opportunities for people in England to start running. These include This Girl Can Run (a running activation campaign from Sport England's parent This Girl Can campaign) and RunTogether, a national recreational group-based running product.
England Athletics is a signatory of the Mental Health Charter for Sport and Recreation. The Charter sets out how sport can use its collective power to tackle the stigma that surrounds mental health and help people seek support when needed, see more at www.sportandrecreation.org.uk/mental-health-charter.
For more information on England Athletics please visit www.englandathletics.org
Mind
We're Mind, the mental health charity for England and Wales. We believe no one should have to face a mental health problem alone. We provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. We campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. We have a federated network of around 130 local Minds across England and Wales. Our Get Set to Go physical activity programme was recently extended by Sport England and the National Lottery to support even more people with mental health problems to get more active. Over 30,000 sport and physical activity staff and volunteers will be trained to give better support to people with mental health problems with the potential to reach 2.8 million people.
For more information on Mind’s sport and physical activity work please visit mind.org.uk/sport
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