Run4Rene

Hi, I'm Stef! I set up Run4Rene Crew in memory of a truly wonderful person, my brother Rene. We lost Rene to suicide in 2017 and Run4Rene became a beacon of hope and love which we built out of the wreckage of loss and sadness. In managing my own grief, running and community became my life-line. Mental illness is indiscriminate. It can target anyone, whether due to genetics, trauma or life events and once it hits it can make you feel alone, hopeless and afraid.

Run4Rene is a mental health community that encourages people to use running to manage their wellbeing, but also to talk and share experiences. The ethos of Run4Rene is that we create a free, safe space for honesty, vulnerability and connection for people of all  backgrounds. No one here will judge you if you're having a bad day, week or year. No one cares if you run fast, slow or walk. We encourage you to come as you are, rain or shine, just like our mental health and to build a support network around yourself and others that you can turn to with trust and confidence.

Over the last few difficult months, local community has become more important than ever. People are working from home, or have lost their jobs; they are feeling an immense sense of anxiety about the future or struggling to make sense of a world that has changed forever, unsure quite yet of what that exactly means for them or their families. We need more funding into mental health and professional support to make it accessible for everyone; however there is also a tremendous amount that we can do in our own communities every day to show empathy, compassion and look out for one another. As Run4Rene grows from a single group in Hackney to (hopefully) 9 across Greater London and beyond in the coming months, we remain committed to keeping the community free and inclusive. Kindness and running are free, but we need funds to get the message out there about our group to those who may be struggling,  perhaps still waiting for medical or therapeutic support and needing a place where they can access peer-support. We also need to reach volunteers for growth as without run leaders we can't implement our mission.

Word-of-mouth alone has been amazing and we would never have gotten this far, if it wasn't for the passion and unwavering support from so many of you, near and far. But the truth is that we could do even more; the momentum is now charged up and with some funds behind us we could accelerate, magnify and elevate this mighty community we've all nurtured and grown, to another level, taking it  from localised groups to a nationwide movement of mental health ambassadors (yes, that's you!)

I know times are tough. I know there is so much financial uncertainty, but if you do have the capacity to donate something, anything, we would be so grateful for your support. The money will go directly towards promoting, marketing and sharing this group with others, especially trying to encourage more diversity and awareness amongst marginalised groups of people who are more at risk. If you can't then I totally understand, my small ask would be that you share the message of Run4Rene verbally, online, with anyone that you come into contact with; you never know what the person receiving the information might be going through.

Difficult roads can lead to beautiful destinations.

Let's face the journey together.