Morpeth resident's mental health mission for running clubs

After experiencing a dark period three years ago, Andy Ball says he was only able to get through it thanks to the support of his running friends and his wife, Anita.

The 46-year-old has now set up his own mental health training business for workplaces and hopes all running clubs recognise the importance of offering a safe space for runners to seek help.

Andy – who is running the Principality Cardiff Half Marathon in October as part of the SuperHalfs Series – said: “I’ve run on and off since 2000, but started running consistently six years ago when I moved house.

“I found a running club, made a new network of friends and my running improved, which was amazing.

“Blokes don’t tend to talk about their feelings as it’s, wrongly, viewed as a weakness. But we’d find ourselves running together and chatting. So, when three years ago they noticed I wasn’t coming to training sessions, they asked me if everything was OK.

“It wasn’t. I was in a really dark place and having a difficult time with my two boys. That’s when they said, ‘right, we’re going on a long run, we can go as slow as we like, but it will help’, and it really did.”

Wanting to help others, Andy started learning more about mental health, discovering how to communicate with others and what to do if someone else is struggling. He then left his job in the voluntary sector and set up his own business, Thrive Together Training and Coaching, teaching mental health first aid to other businesses and organisations.

He has also taken on the role of Welfare Officer and Mental Health Champion at his running club and wants to encourage more clubs to have something similar.

He said: “I’m on a mission now to encourage the implementation of mental health champions in run clubs. I’ve helped six clubs so far, but that’s not enough and I need a body behind me, which is why I’m also speaking to England Athletics.

“It’s really important that we break down that barrier and are able to signpost where people can go to get further help.”

To find out more about the Principality Cardiff Half Marathon, visit www.cardiffhalfmarathon.co.uk