How did you get involved with The Running Charity?

I had been coaching other sports since my late teens/early 20s. When I really got into running, I was considering whether to switch my focus. This was partly due to getting my Leadership in Running Fitness qualification, being involved with pacing at park runs and races, and helping friends get into running as well. Around early 2019, I’d seen an advert for the Women’s Programme Coach role. The year before, I’d been involved with a leg of The London Relay and seen the documentary ‘I Run On’, which both involved The Running Charity. I took this as a sign to apply and just see what happened. Almost two and a half years down the line, I’m still here, helping as many young people as I possibly can.

What does your average day look like?

Part of my role is supporting young women, who are particularly at risk of homelessness. Often, I’ll meet them at a location that’s safe for them until they feel more comfortable to go further afield. I travel all over London and can easily cover anywhere between 20,000-36,000 steps over the course of a particularly busy day. Most days are quite physically active for me, with between 1-4 sessions, consisting of 1:1 support and wider group sessions. These are predominantly based around running, but we also focus on exercises to help provide balance and compliment running, such as walking, breathing, stretching and strength work. The 1:1 work enables me and the young women to build positive relationships. The conversations we have can lead to us co-creating a plan of action specific to each individual’s needs. This can be as simple as registering with a GP, to more complex issues around their housing or wider advocacy work. It’s also important there’s someone they can feel comfortable opening up to about women’s specific issues, such as sexual and reproductive health, childcare and domestic violence. We listen and ensure their lived experiences and aspirations are what directs the work we do. Our young women often know what they want and need. It’s my role to empower, connect the dots and provide a foundation for them to work from. In terms of the admin side, I work in collaboration with different partner organisations. It’s important to work with the services that young women access, so we can provide a more efficient support network. I also work with my colleagues, Claude and Steven, in supporting our mixed group sessions and providing taster sessions to partners.

Why does The Running Charity have a Women’s Programmes Coach?

Within the homelessness sector, there’s still a disproportionate provision of gender-specific services. Even in mixed set-ups, it’s typically men who will access them. As a result, services end up being more tailored to their needs. Also, the true number of homeless women may be higher than actually reported, as many will avoid sleeping rough on the streets. This can lead to women being placed in vulnerable situations that increase the risk of violence and abuse. As an organisation, we’ve worked hard to get the split closer to 50/50 across our programmes. We’ve supported women that have fled domestic violence and human trafficking. Some are pregnant, have young children, or are affected by profound mental health issues such as depression, suicide ideation, anxiety and eating disorders. We wouldn’t have been able to achieve this without taking a gendered approach and also working in partnership with specialists. It’s important that we can respond to an individual’s needs and create a space that, whatever your gender identity is, you feel welcomed, safe and listened to. We truly want to shape a service led by the young people who access it.

What would you say is your proudest achievement since working with us?

There are a lot, but seeing young people achieve personal bests and pushing themselves during sessions, races and events is always inspiring. Also, the pandemic really demonstrated the team’s passion and commitment to supporting young people. If anything, we were busier, and at times it was 7 days a week. Throughout 2020, young people received virtual support, access to counselling and socially distant 1:1 sessions.

What has been your best moment, personally?

I count myself very lucky that I’ve found a job where I can use my passion for running to help other people. The Running Charity welcomed me straight away, and I love that everyone brings their own experiences and level of expertise to the team. I’ve never felt that I couldn’t suggest something or ask for help if I needed a solution to a problem. When we all get together (staff, volunteers, and young people) it really feels like a family.

Why do you like working with young people? 

I’ve always worked with young people since I was studying PE GCSE. I mostly had positive experiences and opportunities with sport, so I felt I wanted to use that to help others. Young people are in a phase of their life where they’re trying to figure out what they want, but they need the right level of guidance, especially when they feel circumstances are against them.

Away from The Running Charity, what keeps you busy?

Unsurprisingly, running! I like to get involved with races and park runs as both a participant and a volunteer. During the pandemic, I had more time to dedicate to learning Ballroom and Latin dancing, something that piqued my interest, being a fan of Strictly Come Dancing. It’s a great form of cross training to supplement my running, gives my brain a workout by learning something new and is one of those rare times I’m not wearing trainers. I’ve also been known to bake (I had previously worked as a cake decorator for about 6 months before joining the Charity) and dabble in arts and crafts, such as origami and needle crafts. It’s good to have interests outside of running as, these days, that’s usually what I am known for by family and friends.

When did you start running and why? 

I started running in 2008, as I was running my first ever 5K race for St Christopher’s Hospice, who provided palliative care for my mum. Running became more serious for me in 2016 as a way to help with my mental health after a stressful period in my life.

Tell us about your favourite race or run? 

It has to be the London Marathon because it’s such an iconic race from my childhood. I was lucky to run it in 2018 as my first ever marathon. The weather was far from ideal (the hottest one on record) but I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face.