Find out more about how parkruns can help improve fitness and wellbeing
Members of the public and colleagues working across BSW Together are being encouraged to find out more about local parkruns as a way of improving health and wellbeing.
Parkruns are free, weekly, community events that take place all over the world. The Saturday morning events are 5k and take place in parks and open spaces. There are nine parkruns across the BSW area, with many others close by.
They are described as a positive, welcoming and inclusive experience where there is no time limit and no one finishes last. Everyone is welcome to come along, whether walking, jogging, running, volunteering or spectating.
In 2018, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and parkrun UK launched the parkrun practice initiative to promote the social prescribing of physical activity through participation in local 5k parkrun events.
More than 16 per cent of practices across the UK have registered to become a parkrun practice. The specific aims of the parkrun practice initiative are to:
- improve the health and wellbeing of patients
- improve the health and wellbeing of practice staff
- raise awareness of the services that practices provide
- develop a local community centred around wellness
- support the growth of social prescribing activities
If you are interested in taking part, registration is completely free and only needs to be done once, whether you intend to walk, jog, run, or volunteer or do a combination of all these things.
Park runs in BaNES: Bath Skyline, Somerdale Pavillion
Park runs in Wiltshire: Southwick Country Park, Melksham, Chippenham, Tidworth, Marlborough
Park runs in Swindon: Seven Fields, Lydiard
More details here: Find a park run