Sport & Physical Activity Poverty & Inclusion
2025 Free
The Running Charity

Mission & Impact 2024/25

The Running Charity harnesses running and fitness to support young people aged 16-25 who are experiencing homelessness or living with complex needs including trauma, the care system or the criminal justice system. Its relational model pairs weekly group running with wraparound youth work, and the charity reports an independently-verified £9 social return for every £1 invested. This entry draws on the charity's own live Mission & Impact page rather than a static PDF, since that page functions as its published impact report.

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About

Free, coach-led group running sessions combined with one-to-one youth work, mental health support, advocacy and access to counselling, delivered from hubs in London, Manchester and Leeds for young people aged 16-25 affected by homelessness or complex needs

Key Metrics

Key Metric 1 For every £1 invested, an independent study found the charity returns £9 to society
Key Metric 2 At least 122,000 young people are homeless in the UK today
Key Metric 3 75% of the London team and 90% of the overall team have direct lived experience of homelessness or complex needs

Key Outcomes

  • Improved mental health among participants, measured using the NHS-approved Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale
  • Participants sustained or improved their housing situation over the course of the programme
  • Participants reduced harmful behaviours and improved education, training or employment outcomes

Geography

Other

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