Become a Parkrun Practice
In 2018, parkrun UK in partnership with the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) launched the parkrun practice initiative to enable GPs and other healthcare practitioners to engage with their local parkrun community and start to prescribe physical activity to their patients by sending them to a local event.
Attending a parkrun provides patients access to a low cost, community led physical activity opportunity and can be a great way of introducing patients back into physical activity and encouraging participation in an activity to increase health, manage long-term conditions and improve wellbeing.
Becoming a parkrun practice could also support your application to join the Active Practice Charter by providing an opportunity for patients and staff to be more active and link with a local activity provider.
The parkrun practice initiative
Why become a parkrun practice?
Becoming a parkrun practice is not time-consuming, and you may find that links are pre-existing between your practice and the local event through staff or patients who already attend.
There are many benefits associated with joining the scheme, for both staff and patients, these include:
- Improving the health and wellbeing of practice staff and patients. Reducing the need for lifelong medication whilst providing patients a way to manage long-term health conditions.
- Improve staff morale and relationships between staff members & other practices in the PCN
- Bring about more enjoyable interactions with patients
- Raise awareness amongst the parkrun community of services that practices provide
- Enhance the practice image and strengthen local connections through a positive partnership
- Support the move towards personalised care and social prescribing
How to get involved…
Before you register to become a parkrun practice, it is essential that communications are had between the practice and the local parkrun event team. This enables the parkrun team to prepare for patients to be signposted and attend the event.
You can find your nearest parkrun by checking the map available here, this is updated by the parkrun team and will show new events as they are added.
If there is not yet a parkrun event nearby, you could do what other practices across the country have done, and start one! More information about starting an event can be found on the parkrun website.
Once you are ready, your practice can register to become a parkrun practice by following the link below and completing the registration form: https://r1.dotdigital-pages.com/p/49LX-532/parkrun-practice-registration
This website also has links to lots of resources to support you on your journey to becoming a parkrun practice.
Download the poster above here
