YOUR editorial (“Sporting events the starting blocks to healthier living”, The Herald, February 14) is right that we need to get more children and adults to take up sport. In my experience you have to find something you love, that fits your wallet and life. In my case it’s running. It is free and easy to fit around work and family. You just put on your trainers, leave the house, and run.
I joined Bellahouston Road Runners, one of Scotland's biggest running clubs. Our membership has grown every year since the Commonwealth Games. A couple of evenings a week we can have 70 adult runners of all ages and backgrounds training on our streets and in our parks. This gives us a good understanding of what might be holding people back.
In our view, it’s not all about sports centres. Poor street lighting is a big problem. Our parks can be no-go areas from about 4.30pm for about half the year because they are dark. Women and young people don’t feel safe running on their own – personal safety and tripping over. We are an experienced club who take health and safety seriously, but even we have had two runners falling over quite badly in the last few months because of poor pavements and lighting. Many of our cub members will tell you it is major part of why they joined. Safety in numbers, in the dark winter.
Summer parks full of active families, dog walkers, and sports teams are one of life’s great urban pleasures. Imagine if we could get that through the winter too. The answer is to light up our parks. We have written asking our council to take up the idea. Running clubs across Scotland are joining our Light Up Our Parks campaign.
If we can, running clubs like ours will get people using them throughout the winter evenings. Parks will feel safe and more of us will take up sport through the winter too – helping to build that healthier nation.
Danny Phillips,
Bellahouston Road Runners, 23 Herriet Street, Glasgow.
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