Story
Watch the film documenting the 3 Peaks trip here: https://youtu.be/pD2dTnyItgA
The Running Charity embraces the benefits of running and regular fitness to help transform the lives of young men and women experiencing homelessness.
In the UK alone, 80,000 young people aged 16 to 24 experience homelessness each year. Homelessness deeply impacts both the young person affected and the wider-society. Without a strong support system in place, becoming a young adult can be extremely daunting. Understandably, the attitudes of those affected grow naturally pessimistic. Homelessness can instigate or compound existing mental health and drug-misuse problems among young people. There is a strong association between homelessness and a withdrawal from education, employment or training.
Their innovative, holistic approach impacts health and improves mental well-being, replacing destructive behaviour patterns with constructive, self-enriching activity. As part of a broader approach to young people's care, running also provides a means to engage and build trust – helping to dispel the negativity that hinders young people's development and help more successfully transition into employment, education and accommodation.
Since 2012, The Running Charity's services have impacted the lives of over 170 youths with unprecedented success and generating a projected societal cost-saving of over £6.9million.
The Running Charity believes that running is as good for your mind as it is for your body. Running builds resilience and self-esteem, and we use this to improve the lives of 16-25 year-olds who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Homelessness can happen at any time and to anyone. And when it happens to a young person it can affect them for the rest of their life. We use running to improve fitness and instil a goal-setting mentality that are key tools in helping these vulnerable young people to build healthy, sustainable futures.