MARK'S TOUCHING POEM FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2026

“You have to listen to Mark’s poem.”

After poetry night at MileShy MeetUp Sale, we kept hearing the same thing.

“Jane, you need to hear Mark’s poem. It’s incredible.”

So we asked Mark if he would read it aloud at one of our sessions, so that we could all appreciate it together.

The room fell completely silent as he began to read.

With Mark’s express permission, we are sharing an edited version of the poem on our socials during Mental Health Awareness Week. We are incredibly grateful to him for allowing us to share something so personal and powerful.

If you would like to listen to the full unedited poem, we have uploaded it below for you to experience in your own time. Please note this poem comes with a trigger warning.

MILESHYCLUB ON THE BBC TO CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF COUCH T0 5K

Last week MileShyClub founder, Jane Dennison, was invited onto the BBC Breakfast sofa to help celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Couch To 5K program. She spoke to Sally Nugent and Jon Kay about how running has changed her life and how MileShyClub came about. You can see the interview HERE. We love that MileShyClub is now synonymous with Couch To 5K for so many people - we appeared in the advert for the official NHS Couch To 5K app that still gets shown at all major sporting events, we’ve run a Couch To 5K session with Jo Whiley live on air and have featured on BBC Morning Live numerous times as part of a running series with Dr Punam Krishan. 

MILESHYCLUB SUPPORTING PEOPLE SEEKING ASYLUM TO GET ACTIVE

We’re really pleased that our recent work inside one of Manchester’s migrant hotels has been featured on the GM Moving website. This project has been one of the most challenging and meaningful things we’ve ever delivered so it’s been a privilege to share our experiences with GM Moving who are now helping to spread those learnings with organisations across Greater Manchester working to get more people active. Because when we learn from each other, we go further - together. You can read the full feature HERE.

MILESHYCLUB MOVE THE NIGHTINGALE CENTRE'S WELLBEING DAY

Earlier this month Jane and MileShy Runner Lisa attended the Nightingale Clinic’s Health and Wellbeing Day - we were asked back after Lisa gave a really moving talk at last year’s event that resonated with so many people around the room. This year Lisa once again had the room enraptured as she spoke about her own diagnosis and how running became a vital source of strength through difficult times. This year we also brought along one of our professional fitness instructors, Gaynor, who led a gentle chair yoga session to demonstrate that meaningful movement is possible at any stage of a cancer journey.

THANKYOU TO OUR LONDON MARATHON FUNDRAISERS

We’d like to say a HUGE well done and thankyou to Wendy and Jason - our very own superheroes who ran the London Marathon to fundraise for MileShyClub! MileShyClub runner Jason won our spot for 2025 but unfortunately had to defer due to injury - he came back stronger than ever to smash his marathon! Coach Wendy has run numerous marathons but was unsuccessful in the London Marathon fifteen times - she was absolutely thrilled to have won our spot for 2026. 

Both Wendy and Jason were delighted to see a certain MrsMileShy waiting on the sidelines just before the halfway point! You can see their reactions *HERE* These two superstars raised almost £3,500 between them - a phenomenal amount which will be put to great use getting people active in our local communities. Thanks so much to every single person that sponsored them - we are truly grateful for every penny.

MILESHYCLUB: NO ONE GETS LEFT BEHIND SINCE 2017

MileShyClub recently celebrated it’s NINTH birthday. We started with one simple idea - that running should be for everyone. No pressure. No pace requirements. Just showing up as you are - whoever you are. 

MileShyClub has never been about the medals or the miles. It’s about the encouragement, the laughs, the teamwork and the belief that everyone belongs at the start line. Every one of you inspires every one of us.

Whether you run fast, slow or somewhere in between - you belong here. When we say “No One Gets Left Behind” we really mean it - that’s why it’s been our ethos since day one. 

Keep going. Keep growing. Keep showing up.

We’ll keep showing the world what a supportive, inclusive and motivating running community looks like.

#MileShyClub #NoOneGetsLeftBehind #CouchTo5K #NoOneGetsLeftBehindSince2017

WOULD YOU LIKE TO FUNDRAISE FOR MILESHYCLUB?

Have you got a race planned for 2026? If you’re already training for an event why not run for MileShyClub and help change lives while you’re at it? Maybe we helped you take your very first steps into running. Maybe you’ve found confidence, friendship or better health along the way. This is your chance to give a little something back - and feel amazing doing it.

RAISE £50 FOR US AND YOU’LL GET: A FREE MileShyClub tee or vest to wear on race day. An army of cheerleaders shouting your name from the sidelines. The knowledge you’re supporting a charity that truly helps people live longer, happier and healthier lives.

🐝Set up your fundraising page via JustGiving

🐝www.justgiving.com/charity/MileShy_Club

🐝Email hello@mileshyclub.com to get your free bee tee for the big day!

SALE SANTA DASH RAISES AN AMAZING £1,765 FOR MILESHYCLUB CHARITY

This December we held our sixth annual Sale Santa Dash. Our Santa Dash is a wonderful event that always brings fun and festive cheer to the local community and raises money for our charity at the same time. Thanks to the enthusiasm of our runners, volunteers and supporters we raised £1,765 - every penny goes directly towards our community projects designed to help people get active and to our mental health support groups. We also supported Sale West Food Bank by donating all of our remaining sweets and chocolates that were left over at the finish line.

All photos from the day (and previous years) can be found HERE. We can't thank our photographer Derek Stuart-Cole enough for donating his time and his talent every year - his photos are always fantastic and this year’s are particularly stunning as it was such a beautiful, sunshiney day!

We’re incredibly grateful to all of our wonderful volunteers that helped out on the day, to everybody that came along and took part in one of our runs and to all those that cheered our runners on from the sidelines. Your support helps us continue making a real difference in our community all year round.

OUR SECOND MILESHY MEET UP LAUNCHES AT BROOMWOOD!

We are so delighted to announce the expansion of our mental health offer - we have a brand new group launching next month. MileShy MeetUp Broomwood begins Monday 5th January!

Based on the Five Ways to Wellbeing, this new group will offer a different activity each week to support and improve poor mental health - a supportive and safe space to connect, breathe, learn something new and rebuild hope.

Our brilliant wellbeing practitioners Gaynor and Emily will be co-leading the group every Monday, from 5pm until 7pm at Broomwood Community Wellbeing Centre, Timperley, WA15 7JU.

This group has been made possible thanks to National Lottery players and is funded for a full year by the National Lottery Community Fund - support like this genuinely saves lives and we are so grateful for the funding.

If you'd like to get involved - as an attendee or a volunteer - we'd love to hear from you.

You can find out more and get signed up HERE

NIGHTINGALE CENTRE WELLBEING DAY

MileShyClub founder, Jane, and MileShyClub runner, Lisa, recently attended the Nightingale Centre at Wythenshawe Hospital to present at their Health and Wellbeing Day for people living with breast cancer. 

Lisa gave a very real and moving account of her own experience of living with breast cancer - an uplifting story of how increasing her physical activity really helped her before, during and after her treatment. We are so proud of the passion she spoke with and the inspiration she brought to the room. 

If you’d like to find out more about Lisa’s story you can read all about it HERE where she’s listed as one of our biggest inspirations.