Back in October, on a cold, dark, Friday evening, just over 30 local residents joined members of North Bristol Running Group (NBRG) to begin their journey to become runners.

Week by week, working in small groups, supported and encouraged by a team of experienced runners, the group increased their fitness and stamina. This was achieved by following a routine of walking and jogging for set periods of time, e.g. one-minute walk, two-minute jog for a total period of twenty minutes. Each week, the group were able to increase the amount of time spent jogging and the distance covered.

Sheila Wilcox, one of the run leaders for NBRG, explained:

“It’s about the fifth week of the course when the magic happens. We see people who struggled to jog for one minute in the first week now able to continue jogging for ten minutes at a time and covering the full 5 km distance, it can get emotional.”

Sheila also described how this year’s group worked hard to succeed, not only training on a Friday evening but also once or twice during each week, adapting their busy schedules to accommodate walk/jog sessions.

On Saturday 8th December, the ‘Couch to 5k’ crew met at The Ridings, Chipping Sodbury to participate in parkrun – a free, weekly, timed 5km run. This event marked the end of the eight week course, and their graduation as runners. They were awarded a medal and celebrated with a sip of well-earned Bucks Fizz!

It’s hoped that the graduates will continue with their new activity of running by continuing to attend the weekly runs that NBRG offer. Another ‘Couch to 5k’ course will be offered by NBRG in the autumn of 2019.

Photo: ‘Couch to 5k’ graduates and NBRG members at Chipping Sodbury parkrun.

• More info: ‘North Bristol Running Group’ on Facebook

This article originally appeared in the January 2019 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine (on page 25). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH (except August), to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

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On a cold, dark November evening, Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook shopping centre was turned green by the ever-growing numbers of the popular North Bristol Running Group (NBRG).

The group had gathered together to celebrate five years of running in the community, and friends, families and runners met together for a slice of celebratory cake, a group photo and, of course, a run!

The local group, founded by running couple Alan and Sheila Wilcox, has over 1,000 members signed up to the NBRG Facebook page and offers weekly 5k and 10k runs as well as a ‘Couch to 5k’ course on an annual basis. The group’s members include trained leaders in running fitness, mental health ambassadors and runners of every ability.
From the early days of trying to find other runners to train with, NBRG has multiplied and has become known as ‘the green family’, in recognition of the bright green t-shirts its members wear. A highlight of the group has been the creation of a running community within the Stokes area.

Joint founder Sheila Wilcox said:

“It really feels like a community group and through our ‘Couch to 5K’ course, it’s a great way to introduce people to running … and now we have this wonderful network of local people who support each other to do something fantastic!”

One of the members has even recently set up a social coffee catch-up on a monthly basis – perfect for all members, including those taking a break from running due to other commitments or injury.

More: Group supports many charities through its running activities »

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Players and coaches of the U8 ‘Whites’ team at Bradley Stoke Youth FC are striding out in style thanks to sponsorship from ISD Solutions.

The Gloucester-based engineering company has provided the team with a smart new training kit for use during their weekly Thursday evening sessions on the AstroTurf at Bradley Stoke Community School.

This is the second year in which ISD Solutions has supported the team, having sponsored a new heavy-duty gazebo for its tuck shop in the 2017/18 season.

The BSYFC U8 Whites, who play in the Hanham Minor League Under-8 Division, are coached by Nick Mawson, Lee Halmshaw, Clarke Taylor and Huw Davies. The link with ISD Solutions has come about through Nick, who works with Fred Weaver, national sales executive at ISD Solutions.

Nick commented:

‘The BSYFC coaches, parents and players, would like to thank ISD Solutions for their sponsorship and continued support. It’s excellent to see companies such as them supporting the local community. They play a large roll in helping teams such as ourselves get the equipment and clothing we need to move forward.”

Founded in 1946, ISD Solutions have grown to be the UK’s leading contractor in the design, installation and maintenance of composite panel-based structures from cold stores to data centres, and have been specialists in the field for over 60 years.

Photo: Fred Weaver of ISD Solutions (back row, second from right) with the team in their new kit.

This article originally appeared in the December 2018 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine (on pages 18 & 19). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH (except August), to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

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Three 10-year-old boys from Bradley Stoke have begun an ambitious aquatic challenge to raise much needed funds for their school. Finley Palmer, Archie Matthews and Joe Moody, all pupils at Bowsland Green Primary, are collectively hoping to swim the width of the English Channel (22 miles) over an estimated 12 weeks and are collecting sponsorship through an online ‘secure giving’ page.

Money raised through the initiative will be used to improve the outdoor play area at the boys’ school, which the parent teacher association Friends of Bowsland Green describes as “tired and uninspiring”.

Finley explained:

“We have enjoyed being at Bowsland and now we are in Year 6 we wanted to do something for the school. We really want better stuff to play on and when the weather is bad we aren’t allowed on the field, so we just have ‘the boat’ and that’s really old and falling apart.”

The lads are undertaking the challenge at Bradley Stoke Active Lifestyle Centre (a.k.a. the leisure centre), which is supporting them by allowing them to swim for free while they complete the 1,416-length challenge.

The three boys are keen swimmers, all having previously attended lessons at the centre. More recently, Archie and Fin have also been trialling water polo there too.

Finley’s mum Nichola explained how the challenge came about:

“The boys had been looking for a way of fundraising and whilst Fin was doing water polo he, saw a poster about challenging yourself to swim the Channel. Fin asked his friends what they thought then we discussed it as parents and with the school, as we knew it was a massive undertaking.”

The challenge began on Monday 1st October and by the end of the first week the boys had covered an amazing 331 lengths. They are swimming two or three times a week, but the amount varies due to their other commitments, such as football and rugby.

As we went to press, going into the final week of October, the boys had increased this to 594 lengths. To meet the 12-week target they will need to complete the challenge by Christmas Eve, but they say they ideally want to finish it sooner.

More: Praise from headteacher. How to donate. »

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