Let's celebrate!

let’s celebrate!

the very best of jogscotland

35,043

72% female 28% male

People joined

60% Aged 40+

Running

3,024

504

Leaders trained

Jog groups

Featuring

57

26,037

Challenge events

Participants

let’s celebrate! jogscotland is many things to many people: A helping hand for those who want to improve their health or lose weight; an hour for new mums to get together; the chance to volunteer; an afterschool club; a lunchbreak leg-stretcher; a support through mental health problems; a friendly face in a new town; a step towards a more positive future; a chance to break new boundaries.

It’s easy for all of us involved in jogscotland to take for granted what a special organisation it is. So we decided to create this special booklet to celebrate the very best of our community. This is just the tip of the iceberg - the examples we’ve crammed into these pages are replicated all over the country, many times over.

When jogscotland started in 2002, it was a health intiative more than a sporting one, and its “Walk, Jog, Run” message was perhaps a little at odds with scottishathletics’ focus on supporting clubs to develop high-performing athletes.

But the idea gradually caught on that jogging could entice people not catered for by traditional athletics clubs.

People volunteered to train as Jog Leaders - we have trained more than 3,000 in total Hundreds of new groups were formed, and across the country inactive people became active. Lives were changed. Lives were saved. jogscotland remains one of the most accessible, affordable ways to get active with a welcoming group of likeminded people.

New recruits often wanted more than just regular classes, so we established Challenges to provide friendly, unintimidating 5K events around the country, often working with existing event organisers. The impact was felt by athletics clubs as new participants signed up for races – and organised their own.

A few groups evolved into athletics clubs and are now training the next generation of aspiring international athletes. Existing athletics clubs have also used jogscotland to reach out to parents and prospective members who might have lacked the confidence to pull on a club vest. New marshals, administrators and coaches are being nurtured. jogscotland is now an integral part of Scottish Athletics, not because it has to be, but because of its contribution to the sport’s infrastructure and development.

At the same time jogscotland remains true to the vision it began with. We open our arms wide to the first-timers; those lacking in confidence; whose health is poor; who hated school PE; who have no dreams of speed or competition, but who think they might like to live a healthier, happier life. jogscotland has a unique role and membership and is not easily pigeon-holed.

It has created a world which celebrates participation by everyone, and supports achievement by the very best.

Tracey Crouch MP, Minister for Sport, stated in her recent consultation on the future of UK sport: “We need to start thinking of participation as a means to an end and not necessarily as the end result”. jogscotland has been doing both for many years – and continues to do so every day.

let’s celebrate!

Billy Mitchell, Head of jogscotland

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– We're everywhere!

jogscotland is getting the entire country active. With thousands of members, spread from the city streets of the central belt to the rural trails of the Highlands and Islands. Meet two of our far-flung groups…

Jog Shetland is run by Jill Hood, one of the trained Jog Leaders from NHS Shetland’s Health Improvement Team. Jill says: “From a health improvement perspective it’s a great opportunity to get people who have been inactive to become more active.”

“The group is aiming to build up from complete beginners to being able to run 5K in time for local mental health charity, Mind Your Head’s 10th Anniversary Fun Run. “Running with a group offers an opportunity for the members to their build confidence, ask questions and motivate one another.

We didn’t expect to have so many people interested in jogging - we offered the first week as a ‘come and try’ session and were amazed to have 23 participants.

“Each week the group have progressed and surprised themselves with what their bodies are capable of achieving. One member said: ‘It’s hard to believe that only a few weeks ago I was struggling to run for 3 minutes, and now I’m up to running for 20 minutes without a break!’

“There’s a great running community in Shetland and people are very supportive no matter what level you’re at so we hope that once the 5k event has been and gone people will continue to run for fun and fitness.”

There’s a great running community in Shetland and people are very supportive no matter what level you’re at.

Jogging Buddies in Renfrewshire and is open to all from beginners to experienced runners.

In 2003, Jogging Buddies started with a group of 15 mums from Ralston Playgroup in Paisley. Twelve years later they are still going strong! They now have eight groups with over 200 members walking and jogging each week, and 40 active leaders.

They pride themselves in being a community organisation and recruit, support and train local people to lead their groups. Most leaders started with them as beginners.

Janette Edoni, Jog Leader for Erskine Jogging Buddies, said: “When I came to Jogging Buddies I had never run before. I was made very welcome and encouraged every step of the way, even the front runners would ask how I got on. It’s very much a running family with every level included. Running has now become an important part of my life and definitely helped with my confidence.”

They organise a number of annual events locally and now offer Buggy Buddies, Bike Buddies, Walking Buddies, Girls on the Run, Parkour and Hearty Lives. Across all their activities, they have approximately 500 weekly in their classes, with the youngest participant just two months old and the oldest 91!

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– Weight loss

We know that exercise combined with a sensible diet can help people achieve and maintain weight loss. And at jogscotland, everyone is made to feel welcome, whatever their size, shape, age or fitness! Meet some jogscotland members who have used our groups to help them lose weight – and keep it off!

At her heaviest, Rachel Cox weighed 19 stone. When she decided it was time to lose weight, one of her friends suggested she should try joining the jogscotland group Monkton Milers. She recalls: “I was a wee bit embarrassed when I started, but the Jog Leader Bobby really put me at my ease. He was so encouraging that I couldn’t wait to come back. I can’t understate how fabulous he was with me that week.

“But the great thing was that, although I was slow at my first jogscotland session, I didn’t feel self-conscious at all, because I got a huge round of applause - I couldn’t wait to go back and it made me want to try harder.

“I’ve lost seven stone since then. It’s lifetransforming, it really is. I’ve spent most of my adult life obese and I’d gone into the very obese category, with a BMI over 40, when I joined the Milers.

“Since I lost weight and got fitter, my blood pressure, which was high, has normalised too. I realised I was looking at being a statistic and I that wasn’t the kind of statistic I wanted to be.”

Now Rachel is a jogscotland Jog Leader and inspires others to get active.

Lucy Smith was an active youngester until a series of injuries and illnesses stopped her in her tracks. She began to put on weight – and over the next 14 years continued, until she reached a size 26.

When Lucy was told she needed her gall bladder removed, she started to improve her diet and to exercise, completing a 10K race. She says: “There was a local athletics club but I didn’t feel confident enough to join them. I found jogscotland online but the closest group was an hour’s drive away.

“I was feeling really nervous about attending my first session but I had nothing to fear, everyone was really friendly and made us feel so welcome.

“I made the long drive twice a week as I enjoyed the group so much. The Jog Leaders at Fort William even funded my Jog Leader training so I could set up my own group Mallaig jogscotland, in my home village.

“I have lost a total of 9 ½ stone. To anyone out there who is thinking that they are too big to run – think again! I soon realised that other runners don’t care what you look like. They are secretly thinking “Good on her!” We are all part of a larger “To anyone running community and that’s out there who is what really matters.”

thinking that they are too big to run – think again!”

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– Volunteers

jogscotland would be nowhere without our wonderful Jog Leaders. The vast majority are volunteers, and give up their time free of charge to inspire others to get active and make new friends.

Meet Christine Garvie, one of our longestserving Jog Leaders, and find out why she still finds it so rewarding, after 12 years!

“My sporting activities ended on leaving secondary school in 1964 and it was not until I reached my mid-thirties that I was inspired by a neighbour to take up jogging as a way of getting fit again and kicking my 20-a-day smoking habit.

“The running bug spread to our husbands and children, and before long we all became members of our local athletics club, regularly competing in all sorts of running events from cross country to marathons. Rediscovering my competitive nature, I went on to pick up a few championship wins along the way and I reckon my performance peaked at the ripe young age of 50.

“Gradually I began to realise that my achievements (although modest in comparison) had developed mostly through the help and encouragement I received from my fellow club runners. With this in mind I felt inspired to give something back, and soon began to derive a great deal of pleasure from helping other people achieve their goals. I delighted in arranging training runs and so on.

“In 2002 I was invited to one of an early series of Jog Leader training courses. In May 2003, along with four other newly qualified Leaders, I helped set up jogscotland Dunfermline - one of the very first jogscotland groups - and so it began. We are still going strong and have coached and cajoled hundreds of people on their way to health and fitness through jogging. Some have gone on to join an athletics or running club or take up another activity at a higher level, some have gone on to become Leaders themselves, however, the majority remain as joggers, choosing the security, camaraderie, fun and overall good feeling of belonging that being a member of a group can bring. “jogscotland is more of a family than just a group. The wealth of helpful information and variety of activities available throughout the jogscotland network is amazing – there is something out there for everyone.

“Becoming a Jog Leader has made an incredibly beneficial difference to my life, and I hope the lives of many others.”

“Becoming a Jog Leader has made an incredibly beneficial difference to my life. It is undoubtedly the best thing outside of my family that I have ever done. Age is no barrier to becoming a Leader, as at 66 I am still as passionate as ever about jogging and helping others share the same pleasure.”

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– Jogging in the workplace

jogscotland has a special programme – jogworks – aimed at helping people get active in the workplace. Getting colleagues out for a jog together can improve morale as well as fitness! Meet one of our jogworks groups…

The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) has been a member of the Healthy Working Lives Programme since 2005 and obtained its Silver Award in 2011. We joined jogscotland in 2013 when RSE HR Officer, Christel Baudere, received an email from the HWL Team advising organisations with fewer than 250 employees that jogscotland was organising a free Jog Leader training course for interested employees to create their own formal running group. Two members of staff signed up immediately - Róisín and Morven.

The interest from staff was immediate, with 15 out of a staff of 35 signing up for it from the beginning. Not everyone has stuck with it, for one reason or another, but 10 or so have, and each time a new member of staff starts at the RSE, they’re immediately recruited for the jog group!

Getting out and about in this beautiful city at lunchtime is a real treat, and dodging the tourists just adds a bit of extra interest.

Creating a running group was a great opportunity to support the RSE’s journey to achieving the HWL Gold Award and to maintaining its Silver status. It fits with our Standards and Values and encourages staff to work together as a team and learn from each other. It also encourages staff to go out at lunchtime and have a proper break, promoting a healthy work-life balance, reducing stress, and improving staff productivity.

“I am pleased to Being part of the jog group has be able to go out, also encouraged although at a very slow staff to take pace, for a run at least part in local parkruns and once a week at other, longer races. lunchtime.”

Seeing colleagues getting fitter, pushing themselves further and taking up new challenges has been a real reward for the Jog Leaders.

Some of the members said: “Most of my friends are jealous! I joined thinking I would never be able to run (let’s face it, I have never liked long distance running at school and was always rubbish at it). So I am pleased to be able to go out, although at a very slow pace, for a run at least once a week at lunchtime.”

“I have saved money (I don’t just go out at lunchtime buying things!), have gained fitness and enjoy the fresh air. It’s a bonus to be able to run with colleagues pushing myself a wee bit more than I would if I was on my own.”

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– Mums and juniors

jogscotland has programmes specially-designed for new mums and for juniors...

Arlene Botha recently set up a Mums on the Run group in Galashiels – she tells us: “Following the success of our jogscotland group The Galavanters I decided to set up a buggy fitness group here in Galashiels. I think the whole concept of Mums on the Run is fantastic - I remember as a new mum how difficult it was to find time to exercise with a baby at home, so to be able to bring the wee ones along is just brilliant! It's great fun, a good workout and gives a good impression to our children.

JogMoffat Juniors started in April 2015. With no swimming pool and the nearest athletics clubs more than a 30 minute drive away, a junior running/activity club made sense.

Over 60 children from Moffat Academy and Beattock Primary, from P2 – P6 registered, and three groups were created based on age.

Volunteer parents assume leader roles, with senior pupils as assistants.

"It's great! I get out and about, increase my fitness, meet other mums and best of all, bring baby along."

“It's great for the new mums to discuss their experiences and any problems they feel they're having - you can guarantee that another mum has had the same issue and they can give each other advice.

“It's lovely to see how the girls have bonded and how they will bring along new members to the group. It gives the mums some ‘me time’ too which is so important as it is easy to forget about yourself when “This is my first you have a new baby. Oh and the time doing any wee ones love it too kind of running and I'm - 9 out of 10 times we have happy, thoroughly enjoying the sleeping babies.” experience, it's an added

The session starts with a warm-up to The Proclaimers, ‘500 Miles’! Then the groups rotate through activities which are so much fun they hardly realise they are exercising. For some, it may be the only exercise they take. The leaders have identified some children who want more traditional running sessions and we will create a group in autumn focusing on running stamina and techniques.

At the end we announce how far the children have travelled from the Garmin issued to a child at the start of the session. It astounds them how far they have covered.

Two of our leaders, Aileen and Elaine have also now established JogMoffat Families. The aim of this group is to invite families to exercise together - outdoors - rain or shine. On some occasions, we have been lucky enough to have three generations of one family!

We all have a huge amount of fun with laughter ringing round the playing field. The intention is to provide families with good ideas and games to take away and play again in the park or garden.

bonus that I can bring my baby with me"

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Great groups 23

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let’s celebrate!

– Helping Scotland’s mental health

Regular exercise is increasingly recognised as an important tool in improving mental health. Being part of a jogscotland group rather than exercising alone has the added benefit of providing new friends and social support. jogscotland is proud to be an official partner of SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) as part of their Get Active programme.

We train our new Jog Leaders in mental health awareness and SAMH encourages staff, service users and supporters to join their local jogscotland group.

Right across Scotland there are many individual members and jog groups which have used jogscotland to help their mental health – here are just two examples: -

playing at Mummies they always pretend to be Mummies going for run! What better example could I set?!”

Recovery Runners has existed since 2012, helping people with substance use and/or mental health problems to enjoy exercise.

For the first three years it focussed helping people take part in the Great Scottish Run 10k, with more than 100 people taking part every year since 2012.

Heather Gilbertson of jogscotland Muir of Ord suffered post-natal depression after the birth of her second daughter in February 2009. She says: “After lots of ups and downs I agreed to take antidepressants, which got me to a place where I could take active steps myself towards getting back on an even keel.”

“Running, as

She met local Jog Leader Joan Munro, who encouraged her to join the group: “I was made so welcome and there was never a time I felt my slow pace held anyone up. I made new friends and had that bit more of a social life. Running with a jogscotland group is good because you can chat as you run and just enjoy being out doing something that is good for you both inside and out.”

Heather says that joining jogscotland was a key step in rebuilding her confidence and self-esteem. Now she is a Jog Leader, and adds: “Now when I watch my daughters

Organiser John Milligan well as being a says: “This year, we felt it was time to launch great form of exercise, a Recovery 10k event can also assist people of our own and to help with substance use and/ people prepare, have created a Recovery or mental health Running Network, with problems.” training sessions at six venues across the city every week. We are also holding a Recovery mile for under 16s and between the two races we actually have three generations of the one family taking part!

“We have six trained Jog Leaders and are hoping to expand this. Our sessions are all free to take part in and our Jog Leaders volunteer their time, as we all believe that running, as well as being a great form of exercise, can also assist people with substance use and/or mental health problems to recover and be able to live their lives to their maximum potential.”

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Hope for young offenders

jogscotland has been working with prisons for many years, attending information and men’s health days in places like HMP Glenochil and HMYOI Polmont. Running works well within a custodial environment and offers offenders - who are generally disengaged with exercise - the opportunity to participate in physical activity at a level that is appropriate for them.

HMP Dumfries has officers who are trained Jog Leaders who run a 10 week fitclub where beginners jogging is included as part of the healthy lifestyle message. Prisons such as HMP Low Moss and HMP Glenochil regularly run 10ks or half marathon events on the grounds and raise money for local good causes. Jogging has benefits for physical and mental wellbeing and has provided some with a new social circle and skills that they use upon release back into the community.

Leading the way: YOI Polmont

who are not engaging and also young people who may “We be overweight, have low will specifically self-esteem or mental health issues and help target those who support them to reach are not engaging and a positive destination. also young people The programme will highlight the physical who may be and psychological overweight.” benefits of a healthy lifestyle and encourages the young people to increase their activity levels through jogging.

“We have a responsibility to develop and reinforce the knowledge, skills and understanding in overall health and wellbeing to equip the young men in our care for release and the future.

A chance meeting between jogscotland's Jo Stevens and physical education instructor Gyp Penman from HM Young Offenders Institution Polmont resulted in it becoming the only Scottish Prison Service establishment to have offenders complete Jog Leader training with seven young people and two physical education instructors taking part.

HMYOI Polmont is very proactive in sourcing new opportunities for its young people and the Jog Leader training fits in nicely with the objectives of ‘Better Health, Better Lives The National Health Improvement Strategy and ‘Increasing Physical Activity in Prisons’.

Gyp says: “We will specifically target those

“Feedback from the young people taking part in the training has been very positive and they are keen to get started with new groups for their peers. Jogging groups will be facilitated by newly-trained young people, who will become health champions and mentors for other young people. Developments already suggested are a 5k, 10k and possibly even a marathon for charity. Staff groups will also be catered for by the physical education instructors.”

HM YOI Polmont Governor In Charge Sue Brookes says: “This is a fabulous opportunity for the young people in our learning environment at Polmont to improve their health, support each other, and potentially also give something back to society through charitable team work. It is also great to see SPS staff engaging with community partners, expanding the range of sports on offer and engaging young men who might otherwise be hard to reach in the wider interest of A Safer Scotland for all”

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let’s celebrate! inclusion:

Glasgow FrontRunners Glasgow FrontRunners is running group for the LBGTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual and intersex) community and their friends, and has become the largest LGBTI running club in Scotland.

“The support and encouragement of the enthusiastic Jog Leaders is really motivational.”

FrontRunners began San Francisco in 1974 and is now a worldwide movement. Glasgow FrontRunners was started in August 2010 by three runners keen to create a running group in Glasgow for the LGBTI community. Founder member Kevin Boyle says: "We linked with International FrontRunners for advice and jogscotland to train Jog Leaders and these passionate individuals gave up their time regularly to support other runners."

One of the highlights this year was at the Edinburgh Marathon Festival. Fifty members took part overall in the half marathon, 10K and Hairy Haggis Marathon relay. The shared experience and competition made for a great day out with four teams in the top 30 and all teams finishing in under four hours.

The group has gone from strength to strength with over 110 members. President Eric Baster says: "We have brought lots of people within the LGBTI community into running, who maybe felt excluded from sport and are making such a positive impact in peoples lives." Everyone is welcome!

Member James Watson says: "The support and encouragement of the enthusiastic Jog Leaders is really motivational. One of the great aspects of the club is the friendly atmosphere and number of friendships that have been made through weekly runs and social events.”

The biggest event in the club's history will be its first official chip-timed race, called OutRun, which is due to take place on 22 August from Kelvingrove Park, marking Glasgow FrontRunners’ fifth birthday. Race organiser Jason Bohan said: “The goal of OUTrun is to raise awareness of and promote LGBTI+ visibility and participation in sport.

As the recent Scottish LGBTI Sports Charter published by the Equality Network highlighted there is a desperate need to remove barriers to participation in sport and one way we can do this is raise the profile of our LGBT+ sports clubs by holding a public event like this.”

Several members of the group travelled to the Barcelona Marathon in May, which inspired many others to take part in events throughout the summer.

The success of the group is also reflected in its recent inclusion in the BBC 'Get Inspired' series of videos, featuring some inspiring stories from members.

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bringing it all together: Chirnside Chasers

Chirnside Chasers formed as a jogscotland group at the end of 2011 by around a dozen like-minded runners. The driving force behind the group is the husband and wife team of Stephen and Leeann Ross who took on the role of Jog Leaders.

They began a weekly beginners’ walk/jog group on a Tuesday night with the emphasis on encouraging new people into running and a weekly intermediate group on a Wednesday night for the more competitive runners.

Word spread beyond Chirnside and after only a few months, the adult groups were averaging attendance of around 30 runners a week from teenagers to veterans of all abilities.

In April 2012 the group was contacted by the local primary school to ask if they would start an after school group. The school had potentially good runners, but also had a couple of challenging pupils who the headmaster thought would benefit. This led to the introduction of a weekly junior night.

In 2013 the club trained a number of coaches and became a fully-affiliated scottishathletics club. Chirnside Chasers athletes can be seen at most regional and national track, field and cross country events. Recent successes include Rory Williams becoming the 2014 Scottish Indoor Champion in the 800m for the under 14 age group, Chirnside Chasers team winning silver and bronze at the Scottish Relay Championships on the track, winning the team silver medal at the 2015 Scottish National Cross Country Championship under 13 boys and Keira Waddell became the 2015 East District under 15 girls javelin champion.

In early 2015 the club achieved scottishathletics foundation mark for being a safe, effective, child-friendly athletics club.

Then in April 2015 it received three year funding through sportscotland to create the role of a development officer. Leeann Ross is now employed part-time by scottishathletics with the remit to develop athletics right across the Berwickshire area and works closely with local schools.

Throughout this incredible journey it is worth mentioning that much of the group's success is attributable to its exceptionally friendly ethos. Although the club has now progressed towards athletics they are still keen to hold onto their jogscotland roots and continue with their adult beginners’ session on one night a week. Chirnside Chasers have truly created an atmosphere of genuine camaraderie. They are recognised for their committed inclusivity, ability to work with, support, encourage and train so very wide a range of ages and abilities, and for their exemplary way of making running fun.

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jogscotland challenges

For many runners, there’s nothing like crossing a finish line to get a real sense of achievement. Not only is there the glow of acheving a goal you’ve aimed at for a long time, but having an event on the horizon is a brilliant motivation for your training sessions.

But we know that for some people – especially those who are new to jogging – organised events can be intimidating.

That’s why we started the jogscotland Challenges. These fun, friendly events, usually around 5K in length, have evolved over the years, but the main ethos has always been to provide a challenge that first-timers will enjoy, rather than endure.

The Challenges began in 2003 as a corporate event, part of our jogworks programme. They were such a success that we then opened them up to the rest of our members, taking in not only the original Edinburgh and Glasgow venues, but also reaching out to Aberdeen, the Borders, Inverness and Dundee.

Each event had a relaxed, supportive atmosphere, with around 3,000 people each year taking the opportunity to walk, jog or run a jogscotland Challenge.

The idea of friendly, accessible 5Ks was obviously a good one, as it seems to have caught on in recent years! Events like parkrun now provide a weekly opportunity for a more informal timed run, and there are plenty of race organisers with their own fun, friendly 5Ks – with everyone from community groups to jogscotland groups, to professional event organisers at the helm.

With that in mind, our events have evolved again in recent years. Now the jogscotland Challenge Series sees us working in partnership with other event organisers to provide a range of events around the country.

For events to be a part of the Challenge Series, organisers have to satisfy us that they will embrace the jogscotland ethos of a friendly event, suitable for beginners to walk, jog or run. If you see that an event is part of the jogscotland Challenge Series, you know that all will be welcome, and everyone’s achievements will be celebrated.

The 2015 Challenge Series has included 10 events, spread right across the country and offering real variety. We kicked off with the three mile Wee Trail race at Run Balmoral, a great opportunity to try out trail running for the first time. Since then, we’ve been to spots as far-flung as the Gate to Gate 5K on the Isle of Arran, the Peterhead MB Plant 5K, and the Hawick 5K. We’re still looking forward to – amongst others - the jogscotland Challenge Pitlochry 5K and the big city double of One Big Weekend in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

We look forward to seeing the Challenges continue to evolve and grow – but most of all, we look forward to contining to celebrate every single person who crosses the finish line with us!

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