During Mental Health Awareness Week, it is a welcome reminder of the important work that our volunteer led clubs and running groups carry out throughout the year to support participants of all backgrounds to improve their mental wellbeing. They provide a safe space to belong that is so important in today’s world during a time when loneliness, isolation, and the general pressures of life can sometimes prove too much.

To anyone who may be newly introduced to our sport, or rediscovers their love for running, it is our duty to ensure positive and uplifting experiences for all. England Athletics, alongside the three Home Country Athletics Federations are together responsible for developing and delivering a UK wide participation strategy for the sport.

I am proud to lead an organisation that prioritises the importance of mental health and wellbeing across all our programmes - through our strong collaborations with partners such as Mind, and of the 1,500 + strong band of volunteer Mental Health Champions and first aiders, we are creating safe spaces for people to run and talk.

Earlier this week, we announced the release of our campaign to put a Mental Health Champion into every one of the 5000 running groups and clubs across the UK, an individual who takes responsibility for fostering a culture of openness and kindness within their club environment. Our research tells us that club runners who have access to a Mental Health Champion experience more positive mental wellbeing when compared to the average group runner, and over 8 in 10 agree that running helps with their mental wellbeing.

The latest map of mental wellbeing published by the Global Mind Project revealed that, out of the 71 countries it assessed, the United Kingdom, has the joint highest proportion of people in mental distress, and the second worst overall measure of mental health. So, we know the scale of the problem we face – and we know that sport will be vital in addressing worsening trends. To some degree, loneliness or isolation affects us all, and thus we need to work collaboratively to tackle the problem at its heart.

That’s why we are inviting others to join us on our mission. Running at its core is all about great partnerships, and the more we collaborate under a shared vision, the more lives we can improve. We are pleased to see an increase in awareness around mental health, as brands, organisations and individuals are all rightly conscious of our role in delivering positive social impact. With a corporate partner, we would be able to further grow our programmes that are already supporting the community to enjoy the benefits of running for improved mental health.

RunTogether is England Athletics’ national recreational group-based running community. Together with the social running programmes of the other HCAFs, it supports 250,000 active runners in over 3,500 groups. We know that those who run with others are more likely to stay active and boost their mental health – and this is one way to provide fun, friendly, safe, supportive and inclusive opportunities for runners, whatever their ability or availability.

Running or jogging is more fun and easier to become part of a lifestyle when shared with others. RunTogether is a great social connector, bringing existing and new friendships together. We believe we have a significant role to play - running is the only activity which can be accessed by almost everyone and can be transformational in terms of helping the nation improve its mental health.

However you look after your mental health, England Athletics and our amazing community know the power of togetherness, and of group participation. We don’t want to just get people running – we want to get people running together, and double our efforts to change lives for the better.

Chris Jones joined England Athletics in 2006 as Regional Manager in the East of England and prior to becoming Chief Executive in 2012 he served as the company`s Head of Strategy from 2008.