Parkinson's UK

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England Athletics and Parkinson's UK are partnering to encourage the Parkinson’s community to stay active and connected through inclusive running opportunities and specially trained Run Leaders.

The partnership brings together England Athletics’ nationwide social running programme, RunTogether, with Parkinson’s UK’s specialist knowledge, creating welcoming and supportive physical activity opportunities for people living with Parkinson’s and their carers. National Trust and Forestry England will also be a key part of the partnership, providing safe and welcoming environments for the groups. 

As part of the partnership, in collaboration with Parkinson’s UK, National Trust and Forestry England, England Athletics delivered a Run Leader training course for people living with Parkinson’s and their carers in the Dorset area, at National Trust’s Kingston Lacy. The course was the first in a series of nationwide courses across our RunTogether network. 

What is Parkinson’s?

 Parkinson’s is a complex brain condition that has no cure and gets worse over time. It has more than 40 symptoms, from tremor and pain to anxiety. People living with Parkinson's don't have enough of the chemical dopamine in their brain because some of the nerve cells that make it have stopped working.

Parkinson's is on the rise. There are currently around 166,000 people living with the condition in the UK and someone is diagnosed every 20 minutes. By 2050, the number of people with Parkinson’s worldwide will double to 25 million.

Regular physical activity can help people with Parkinson’s manage symptoms, improve balance and mobility, and enhance mental wellbeing. It can be as important as getting the right dose of medication.

For more information on physical activity and exercise when living with Parkinson's, click here.

About Parkinson's UK

Parkinson’s UK is the charity that’s here to support every Parkinson’s journey, every step of the way. Wherever you’re from, whatever you need.

From searching for a cure and campaigning for better health and care, to funding research into groundbreaking new treatments and running life-changing support services. It’s all driven by one mission: improving life with Parkinson’s.

For information and support, you can visit parkinsons.org.uk or call the free, confidential helpline on 0808 800 0303.