THE Neon Nights running club in Northallerton is taking part in a week-long campaign aimed at improving mental health

Known as “#runandtalk” it takes place from January 28 to February 3 and people can sign up to run one mile or further and have a chat with friends, family, colleagues or other runners whilst they are running.

The campaign hopes to get people talking about mental heath, share their experiences and remove the stigma attached to it.

It also aims to support people experiencing mental health problems to be physically active through running either by helping them get started or encouraging them to return to running or keep running.

Hambleton’s health and well-being development officer David Earl said: “We know that physical activity is good for our bodies and our minds,

“But having a mental health problem can make it difficult to get started, for a number of reasons, ranging from negative body image, or a lack of self-esteem through to practical reasons such as having no one to go with, or not knowing where to get started.”

A series of runs of between one and six miles are taking place, starting from the Hambleton Leisure Centre in Northallerton.

For details contact David Earl on 01609 767202 or david.earl@hambleton.gov.uk