I’m here – jog leaders supporting mental health

When you go to your jog group, you might notice your jog leaders wearing the pink I’m here badge, or you might see that they have the I’m here facebook frame on their profile picture.

This means that they have completed mental health awareness training provided by our partners SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health). They have also pledged to welcome mental health conversations at their group, and to help people to overcome the barriers that mental health problems can pose to getting active.

Whether you’re feeling anxious about going along to your first session, whether you have a long-term mental health condition and want to let them know, or if you’ve just had a bad day and want to chat, they’re there to support you. They’re not trained counsellors, and if that’s what you need, they’ll encourage you to find professional help. But they can lend an ear, and our hope is that jogscotland groups will be places where people feel free to be themselves.

Being active can be great for your mental health, and doing it in a group has additional benefits, providing social contact and a sense of community.

So it makes perfect sense that jog leaders should be there to support their members with their mental, as well as physical health. We’re so proud of all the jog leaders that have taken the I’m here pledge, and thank them for their commitment.

If you’d like more information, contact Jo Stevens.

jogscotland works in partnership with SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) to promote the mental health benefits of jogging, and the I’m here initiative is part of our action plan as a signatory to SAMH’s Mental Health Charter for Physical Activity and Sport.

Among the groups whose jog leaders have completed online mental health awareness training are:

Airdrie, Airyhall, Alness, Anster Allsorts, Aquithie, Arbroath Road Runners, Ardler Ladies, Banchory Running Club, Bridge of Don, Buggy Fitness Group Dunfermline, Cambuslang, Crimea River Runners, Drumoak, Edinburgh Frontrunners, Elder Park Buggy Runners, Elgin, JS Elgin City, Ellon, Erskine Jogging Buddies, FIT Together Scone, Forfar Road Runners, Fun 2 Run, Galavanters, Get Fit Falkland, GGC NHS, Glasgow Dental Hospital & School Runners, Glasgow Frontrunners, Haddington, Harmeny AC, Hazlehead, Insch, Inside Out, Invergordon, Inverness, Isle of Arran, Isle of Harris, jb’s joggers, Jed Joggers, Jiggly Joggers, Jog Dalgety Bay, Jog Peebles Pink Panters, JogPKC, JogScotland Dunfermline, JogStewarton, Juniors Alford, Kemnay, Kick Start@Calaismuir, Kinellar, Kinross, Kintore Running Club, Kirkcaldy Wizards, Let’s Go Linlithgow, Leven Las Vegas, Livi Loopers, Marie Curie in Edinburgh, Mid Argyll, Milestones, Muir of Ord, Mums on the Run Strathendrick, Mums on the Run Inverurie, Newmachar Running Group, New Deer, NMS, Peebles, Penicuik, Peterhead, Pink Laydeez, Plean, QEUH, Queens Cross Aberdeen, Ravenscraig/Strathclyde Park, Ready, Steady Go Pitreavie!, Rhin’s Runners, Rosemount Aberdeen, Royal Society of Edinburgh, Rubbish Runners, Run Livingston, Running Fitness Carnoustie, Salsburgh, Selkirk Striders, StepWell – Run Well, Stirling Striders, Tain Joggers, TAYsmilers, Torry, Troon Tortoises, Turriff, Victoria Park Road Runners, West Dunbartonshire, Westhill.

What does the I’m here badge mean?

The I’m here badge was created for us by design partners Brand Oath. Its colour links it to the SAMH logo. It’s a slightly imperfect circle, to reflect the fact that none of us, or our lives, are perfect. The natural handwriting gives it a personal touch, and the fact the final line leads out of the circle and off the page shows that it’s travelling and moving towards something new.