Heavitree community enjoys run away success

News Desk
Authored by News Desk
Posted Thursday, January 19, 2017 - 10:35am

With New Year’s resolutions of better health and fitness for 2017 firmly in focus, an astonishing 65 Exeter residents turned up in the first week of January to try out a new Couch to 5k beginner running group in Heavitree.

On Monday, one week on, nearly 100 people came along and joined in.

The running group was set up by Park Life Heavitree, a community organisation based in and around Heavitree Pleasure Ground. They were granted funding to provide new opportunities for residents in Heavitree to be active, by Get Active Exeter, the local health and wellbeing partnership which is helping to make Exeter the most active city in the South West.

The group, which is a mixture of men and women, embarked on the NHS’s highly successful Couch 2 5k running program. They meet every Monday at 6.30 pm to work through the programme at their own pace led by experienced local run leader Emma Kessie.

Emma was chosen to lead the programme because she has a strong track record of helping lots of busy people to get into better shape on other successful Get Active Exeter projects.

She has helped countless people on School Gates Running groups at St Michaels and Whipton Schools through the Couch to 5k running programme which not only gets people much more active in a realistic timescale, but also helps them to feel better about themselves.

“I really enjoy helping people achieve their resolutions” said Emma Kessie the run leader.

“Absolutely anybody is welcome along and it is genuinely for beginners. You won’t be competing in any way with anyone else - you just run and walk at your own pace and you’ll be supported and encouraged all the way. Just turn up and give it a try”. 

Park Life Heavitree hopes to turn New Year resolutions into regular lifestyle choices for these Heavitree residents.

“One of Park Life’s aims is to increase participation in healthy activities” said Ben Hunt of Park Life. This is a great example of getting more people using the park and enjoying being active outside”.

The large number of attendees was also partly down to the fact that everyone attending was encouraged to bring a friend along to buddy up with them, keep each other going and to ensure that every week is fun.

“People want to know that they will have fun and not be judged” said Laura Robinson from Active Devon who are a key partner in Get Active Exeter.

“The Heavitree Park Life group has hit the nail on the head in terms of giving the community what they want. Couch to 5k is a perfect way to join others who are making their first steps to better health. This really is a programme that takes people from nothing to a decent level of fitness in easy, gentle steps”.

The group meet every Monday 6.30pm at the entrance to Heavitree Pleasure Grounds, nearest to the basketball courts on Whipton Lane.

To find out more about the group visit them on Twitter @PLHexeter or to find out about how to get active in and around Exeter search Get Active Exeter on Facebook

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