Access Sport’s Ignite programme is excited to announce on Sunday 13^th May we officially launched London’s first regular RaceRunning Club!

In London, there is currently no regular RaceRunning club for young people, yet the sport is a fantastic way to support the health and wellbeing of young people who are unable to run independently. East London RaceRunning is an inclusive environment where young people, with and without disabilities, can run alongside each other enjoying the sport.

East London RaceRunning will provide young people the opportunity to regularly run independently, no matter what their physical ability. We have been working with local physiotherapist Ellie Barton to engage young people from Waltham Forest; supporting young people with neurodevelopmental conditions like Cerebral Palsy.

“For a lot of the children I support as a physiotherapist, and for children with disabilities in the local area- Race Running is the only opportunity they have to move independently.

The runners are expensive and big so not easy for families to purchase or store. The club is perfect as the athletics track is flat, best for the frames, and the children also have the opportunity to meet and run alongside peers, friends and family.

It was a great morning for running, with the sun shining, our young people were whizzing round the athletics track at Waltham Forest Feel Good Centre, racing not just each other but their siblings, parents and friends too!

East London RaceRunning will run along our inclusive athletics club Waltham Forest Wolves providing young people with the opportunity to try other inclusive athletics activities like jumping and throwing. Both clubs welcome young people with varied disabilities and long term health conditions, we want to be inclusive to all, so siblings and friends are welcome too.

Thanks to donations from the Leytonstone and Woodford Rotary Club, and grants from the L&Q Foundation and the Bruce Wake Charitable Trust, we have purchased 3 RaceRunners so far, with two more on their! We would also like to thank Waltham Forest Council for their continued support and donation of a storage hangar.

              

Access Sport welcomed local councillor Naheed Asghar, cabinet member for health and voluntary sector partnerships;

“In Waltham Forest we want to ensure that everyone can experience the thrill of sports no matter their ability. I’m so excited that our youngsters will be the first to experience RaceRunning at their club every week and hope that these bikes will help those who never dared hope to walk, to run.”

East London RaceRunning will run every Sunday alongside WF Wolves, 9:45-11:00am at Waltham Forest Feel Good Centre. If you would like to come down and have a go, or are interested in volunteering at the club, please contact [email protected] or call 020 7993 9883.