As Mental Health Awareness Week (11–17 May 2026) gets underway, Fareham Running Club is highlighting its role in supporting mental well-being.
The club’s Mental Health Ambassador, Trevor Kettle, says:
“Mental health doesn’t only need attention one week a year. For many of our members, lacing up, getting outside, and running with others is part of how they look after their well-being — and for some, part of an active recovery journey. Our job as Mental Health Ambassadors and Champions is to make sure every member knows that they’re not alone, and that there’s someone in the club who can help them find the right support if they need it.”
As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, Fareham Running Club’s Support and Mental Well-being Team is hosting a #runandtalk event at 7 pm on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, for their existing members.
Pioneering club culture work with the Energise Me Sport Welfare Officer, Sue Forber.
The club has also been partnering with Energise Me, the Active Partnership for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, whose Sport Welfare Officer, Sue Forber, has been guiding Fareham Running Club through the pilot of a new Club Culture Reflection Tool — a structured way for clubs to look honestly at how welcoming, inclusive and supportive their environment really feels for members.
Pilot identifies gap for returning runners.
The pilot has already helped Fareham Running Club identify what is working well, where to focus next, and how to translate good intentions into the lived experience of every runner who shows up — including a new offer for members returning to running after time away.
The tool helped the club see that, while new starters and beginners were well supported, there was no clear offer for members returning after injury, illness, or time away.
In response, the club has introduced a ‘Return to Running’ session at 18:50 on selected Tuesdays, running in parallel with the main club night, for people who need to rebuild confidence and fitness gradually.
Paula Williams, Club Secretary & Training Coordinator, added:
Working with Sue and Energise Me has helped us look at how we could be even more inclusive, welcoming and supportive. The toolkit helped us identify a gap in our offer for those who wanted to return to running after taking a break due to injury or time commitments, and we have introduced a new ‘Return to Running’ session on selected Tuesdays at 18:50, which runs parallel to our usual run club session. This means more people can be welcomed into and brought back to the club and benefit from our strong community.
Free, practical support for local sports clubs
Sue Forber and Sarah Goddard are the two SWOs covering Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. They offer free, friendly and practical support to local clubs — including welfare guidance, safeguarding advice and tools such as the Club Culture Reflection Tool, currently being piloted with Fareham Running Club.
Sue brings senior leadership experience in mental health, including her previous role as Director of Services at Solent Mind; Sarah’s background spans learning disabilities nursing and parent support, and she is also South Region Welfare Officer for Basketball England.
The SWO service is free for clubs in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Clubs interested in working with Sue or Sarah can get in touch with Sue Forber, [email protected], or Sarah Goddard, [email protected]
Sue Forber, Energise Me, said:
Fareham Running Club has approached this work with real openness — they already do so many positive things. The Club Culture Reflection Tool isn’t a tick-box exercise — it asks clubs to look at the harder questions about who feels at home and who doesn’t. The way the club has engaged is exactly the kind of leadership we hoped the pilot would highlight.
Running for Body and Mind
Fareham Running Club’s well-being focus extends well beyond Mental Health Awareness Week. The club has invested in:
- #runandtalk nights — Fareham Running Club is a #runandtalk club, part of the England Athletics initiative supported by Mind that uses running to spark conversations about mental health. The club holds #runandtalk nights regularly throughout the year. This is where everyone runs as one group, encouraging everyone to chat to other club members that they may not have spoken to before. Over the course of the hour, each runner meets up to 5 new teammates.
- The FRC Support and Mental Well-being Team — Mental Health Ambassador Trevor Kettle, Mental Health Champions Chris Holliday and Vicki Thorn (last year’s club captains), and Club Community & Safeguarding Officers Sarah Donaghy and Ginette Emmonds, supporting members alongside trained run leaders.
- Signposting to local mental health support services for anyone who needs more than a club can offer.
Vicky Thorn – Mental Health Champion, at Fareham Running Club, said:
‘Being a Mental Health Champion is about helping people feel seen, valued and connected within a supportive community of like-minded people. Exercise and time outdoors, away from daily distractions, are powerful for fostering good mental well-being. Being part of a running club means you will always have someone to encourage you in your goals, and you will never be left on your own. There is no greater feeling than being part of something and making friends along the way. As a Mental Health Champion, I also know how important it is for me to get outside, move my body and know that I am in a safe environment to be me’.
Chris Holliday – Mental Health Champion, said:
‘As Mental Health Champions, we want to help create a club environment where people feel supported, included and able to talk openly. Exercise and being part of a positive community can have a huge impact on mental well-being, and sometimes simply running and talking with others can make all the difference’.
How to get involved
Anyone interested in joining a session can find details at farehamrunningclub.com
New runners are warmly welcomed.
If you’d like your sports club to benefit from the Energise Me Sport Welfare Officers’ free, friendly, and practical services for your club, please get in touch with Sue Forber, [email protected] or Sarah Goddard, [email protected]
