‘It’s given me confidence’: Kirklees running club plans to take part in the Great North Run!
A running club set up by people we support and Lifeways support team members in the Kirklees area of West Yorkshire is gathering pace – with plans to take part in the Great North Run in September!
The running club is the brainchild of Adam, who lives in his own purpose-built apartment at our Union Gardens supported living service in Liversedge.
“I’ve wanted to run for a very long time. But I never had the confidence for it,” said Adam, who is on the right in the photo above, next to fellow runners Rachel, in the centre, and Ivan.
“Running has changed my life physically, mentally,” Adam added. “[It’s a] massive confidence boost.”
Supported by his support worker Rachel – a fitness guru herself – Adam got the idea to form a run club after completing the 5k Brighouse Park run, near where he lives.
“At the end of the 5k run, Adam said one of his goals would be to run a 10k event,” said Lifeways Area Manager Helen Morris. “So after a few weeks of discussion, we decided to launch a 10K Run Club for our area around Kirklees and Halifax.”
Diverse abilities
Given the diverse abilities of people supported by Lifeways, Adam and his support team developed the 10K Run Club further to include people who prefer to jog instead.
Even in the depths of winter, Adam, other people we support, and our team members met up every week for a run or jog at 4:30 pm on a Friday.
Each week, more people have joined in. Currently, the 10K Run Club counts as its members 8 people who we support and 12 support team members.
An active member of the club is Ivan, who regularly enjoys running with Adam – his next door neighbour – and Rachel.
“It’s changed my lifestyle. It’s changed my health,” said Ivan, who we also support at Union Gardens.
Ivan is philosophical about finding the motivation to run.
“When you just feel like the day is going to take you somewhere, you just do it.”
Support worker Rachel is proud of her role in motivating the running club members.
“I’m making sure that they are reaching their goals, and [I] see them achieve them – that way I know I’ve done my job,” said Rachel.
Seeing progress
Club members have seen fantastic progress. Each week people have either improved their time, been able to do more jogging and less walking, or covered a greater distance, according to Helen.
Each week, Adam leads the club’s warm-up session. He then sprints around the 2k running track. He then turns back to run with, cheer on, and encourage other runners, who aren’t quite as speedy as he is!
“The aim is to get out and give it a go and do what you can - with Adam as our lead and inspiration!” said Helen.
Of course, fitness isn’t just for the club’s weekly runs. Several people who started the walking club are now doing their own individual walks in the week - and have joined the gym to get more fit.
Taking up running has also inspired Adam and Ivan to change their diets – heavily cutting down on junk food and sugary drinks.
Several club members are currently planning to take part in the Great North Run this September – so watch this space!
Giving advice to anyone looking to take up running, Adam believes in keeping it simple. “Just get out there and enjoy it!”
About Union Gardens:
At Union Gardens apartments, in Liversedge, West Yorkshire, people benefit from a vibrant network of staff and friends, while having peace and quiet when they need it too.
Union Gardens is a new development made up of one- and two-bedroom apartments plus a two-bedroom bungalow. The service supports individuals living with physical disabilities, autism, and learning disabilities.
About Lifeways:
Lifeways is the UK’s largest team of support professionals providing support for adults in the community.
We support adults with diverse and complex needs, including learning disabilities, autism, physical disabilities, acquired brain injuries, and mental health conditions.
Lifeways delivers support across three divisions: supported living, residential and mental health services.
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