‘parkrun for the NHS’ – celebrating the NHS’s 75th anniversary

parkrun have teamed up with the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to mark the NHS's 75th anniversary in July.

NHS staff and volunteers, as well as local communities, will be encouraged to 'parkrun for the NHS' at parkrun events on Saturday 8 July or junior parkrun events on Sunday 9 July.

'parkrun for the NHS' is an opportunity for parkruns and their local communities to acknowledge the huge contribution that the NHS makes to the health of the nation and celebrate all the staff and volunteers, past and present, who have made the NHS what it is.

This is the second time parkrun UK and the NHS have worked together in this way. In 2018, for the 70th anniversary of the NHS, an incredible UK-wide celebration was held which saw more than 146,000 people taking part as walkers, joggers, runners and volunteers, many of whom had never been to a parkrun before. The celebration was spearheaded by regular parkrunner, former nursing assistant and Olympic gold medallist, Dame Kelly Holmes.

As part of this nationwide celebration, people will be encouraged to take part in parkrun and junior parkrun events. There were some amazing sights during the NHS's 70th anniversary event, with many in fancy dress or NHS trademark blue, and this year's celebrations will be no different!

Many local NHS teams will be on hand at their local parkruns to provide information about the NHS as well as signposting to all the ways communities can help support the service, such as by signing up to NHS research programmes.

'parkrun for the NHS' will not only recognise and celebrate this huge milestone for the NHS, it will also encourage many more people to get involved with their local parkrun or junior parkrun and to make steps towards a more healthy, active lifestyle.

parkrun already has a well-established relationship with GPs, which sees GP surgeries partnered with their local parkrun events in the 'parkrun practice' initiative. Both patients and staff are signposted to local parkruns to improve both mental and physical health.

Source & Image: parkrun