20 members of a West Yorkshire running club have used the power of exercise to help deal with mental health issues.
Runners dealing with depression complete half marathon
The Home Run Project in Calderdale supports people recovering from addiction, as well as those with mental health issues, and asylum seekers.
Led by former rugby league pro Damian Gibson, the group completed the Great North Run this weekend.
The group trains once a week, providing community and friendship to those in need, as well as a great way to keep active.
Kevin Shiels says that the group was vital in helping him recover from addiction, providing confidence and a way to tackle stigma. Speaking to the Halifax Courier, he said: ‘Before, I was judged based on my past but now people look at me and see a runner’.
Fellow runner Hussaim Hadi sought asylum in the UK from Yemen, and ended up homeless and suffering from depression. The support of the running club has helped him get off medication. He said: ‘I feel healthy and happy which is something I have not felt for some time’.
The Home Run club is an example of a community project that helps its members in a number of ways, providing structure and friendship to those who may otherwise be isolated from society.
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