Join parkrun this May to celebrate our brilliant nurses and midwives

This May colleagues, families and members of the public across BSW are being encouraged to support or take part in parkrun events to mark International Day of the Midwife on 5 May and International Nurses Day on 12 May.

The 5K events take part all over BSW and are free to join for anyone who wants to walk, jog or run the course, volunteer or just come along and show their support.

The events will give everyone an opportunity to celebrate the enormous contribution our nursing and midwifery professions make across the NHS, health and social care, our communities and the world.

International Day of the Midwife is on 5 May and was established in 1992 by the International Confederation of Midwives to celebrate and raise awareness about the midwifery profession. International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world on 12 May; the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth.

Whether you’re already an avid parkrunner or attending for the first time, there are lots of ways to get involved. You can walk, jog or run the course, volunteer to support, or come along to cheer on your colleagues. With more than 1,240 parkrun events taking place across the UK every week, there should be one happening near you.

These events are not only a fantastic way to mark our annual international days of recognition but they’re also a great way for us to all get more active, socialise and think about our own health and wellbeing, as well as encourage others to do the same.

Talk to your colleagues and register together, encourage your patients, friends and family to take part too, wear NHS blue or fancy dress and, most importantly, make sure you get involved as we get together to celebrate International Day of the Midwife and International Nurses Day this May.

Gill May, Chief Nurse at Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board said:

“Our hard-working midwives and nurses play such an important role in delivering our health and care services across BSW. It’s fantastic that these two parkrun events give us all an opportunity to celebrate the dedication and expertise of our diverse and highly skilled workforce, and the difference those within it make to so many patients and families every single day.”

If you want to get involved, register in advance for parkrun and attend your local event on 4 May to mark International Day of the Midwife or on 11 May to mark International Nurses Day.

Visit the parkrun website to find your local event and register for free.