This Girl Can Get RunFit

As someone who cares deeply about health and fitness I'm proud to live in the Bracknell Forest area. Our local council (BFC) do a lot of work to encourage the people who live here to look after their health via campaigns and initiatives, provision and promotion of facilities, schemes and clubs. We're also lucky enough to be part of the scope for County Sports Partnership, Get Berkshire Active (GBA).

This has meant that RunFitUK were able to apply for, and were lucky enough to get, one of the This Girl Can Festival Funds offered by GBA, to put on an event encouraging women to get involved in sports and exercise, giving them the opportunity to try things out, ask questions and find out more about opportunities in their local area. Alongside this, Bracknell Forest Council contributed some funding, enabling us to reach out to even more women!

Our festival took place on Sunday 26th July in Bracknell, near South Hill Park. We'd had lots of interest and were optimistic about the weather as we set up cones and kit for the RunFitUK taster session. Unfortunately, as people started to arrive, so did the rain and it was persistent throughout the morning.

Despite the weather we had a great turn out, and even had some ladies join us who were passing by on a run together. As tradition dictates, we started with a warm up and some dynamic stretching before demonstrating that anyone can do interval work, regardless of ability.

We moved on to some strength work followed by some balance and agility games, which had everyone laughing. Of course we finished off with some static stretches, adapting them to standing rather than floor-based versions.

Unfortunately the "Monday Mile" walk I'd had planned was rained off and after handing out goody bags we decamped to the South Hill park cafe for hot drinks, cakes, Q&A and some photos. Smiles withstood the rain and I'm looking forward to seeing some new faces on Tuesday nights at the Bracknell RunFitUK sessions.

Thanks to the funding we have been able to offer five free RunFitUK sessions to all those who signed up, and everyone is also invited to come along to the new Monday Mile walking group that has started meeting at Monday lunchtimes.

I want to say a big thank you to everyone who helped to make this possible: Get Berkshire Active, This Girl Can, Bracknell Forest Council, powered by Cupcakes and Sainsburys for our refreshments, Salming Sports and Laura Fountain for our competition prizes. Bounce Balls, nuun and Sweatshop for out goody bags and to South Hill park for letting a host of bedraggled, dripping runners take shelter in your cafe.