Mind, Body and Sole – Grant Story

Mind, Body and Sole – Grant Story

We spoke to Helen Thornhill at Mind, Body & Sole to tell us about how they used their grant of £500.

Our group Mind, Body & Sole, is a woman’s only running and walking group. We received a grant from the Running Bee Foundation to buy High Viz Running bibs for our members. We are an all-inclusive group, for all abilities, when the woman received the Bibs, they were thrilled to be all wearing the same, it brought a feeling of membership, friendship, belonging, especially for those that are new to the group and don’t own running wear. 

The ladies keep their bibs, so whilst in lockdown when they’ve been out alone or in pairs they still feel they are part of a group. Being part of a group brings confidence and it’s grown their commitment to being regularly active. They buddy up with other members of the group and go on runs and walks, this has helped many of them deal with the daily task of working and homeschooling and the anxiety of lockdown. The future, during lockdown we have gained many new members eager to get running, most new to running or returning to running after a break. 

As soon as restrictions allow the groups will return, extra sessions will be added to allow the beginners to get confidence and fitness to allow them to move into the established groups. The groups are friendly, happy and chatty groups, with focus on chatting whilst running, dealing with problems that may have occurred during the day or just sharing events of the day. It’s an ideal environment for mental well-being, running allows people to feel comfortable in talking about uncomfortable subjects, it gives them a space to rant, cry or shout if needed. Each and every member feel comfortable, secure and supported in the friendly groups. The remainder of the money will be used to buy more high viz bibs as they are needed, ensuring every new member feels part of the group/team.

An additional group is also being formed for women in peri-menopause, a place for them to talk about their symptoms and deal with the changes they face. Again, they will receive the high viz bibs.