Group spotlight: Belper Running Club - A community built on encouragement, inclusivity, and shared understanding

Belper Running Club (BRC) has grown into a thriving, welcoming community built on encouragement, shared ownership, and the belief that movement is for everyone. What started as a small group of people wanting to revive a struggling group soon became a space where confidence grew, friendships formed, and people of all abilities discovered what they could achieve.

This is the story of how it happened, told through the voices of the fabulous four, trustees James, Dan, Sophie, and Linden, who together imagined what the club could become.

BRC’s growth began with a shift in mindset and a commitment to shared leadership. As James (Chair) reflects, “When we inherited the Jog Belper leadership, the first change I made was to move from a leader to a team’. This formed the Trustees, myself, Dan, Linden, & Sophie. These became the bedrock of the Club, and I’m eternally grateful they came along for the ride. As well as this, we created the wider Leadership Team, consisting of the LiRF Leaders, Co-Leaders and Committee Members. Sharing ownership was a crucial step to encourage active, healthy discussion on how we run this Club. We worked on some long-term plans on how to encourage growth, through understanding what the barriers to running for people were. The biggest was confidence around ability, convinced they were not good enough to join a club.  The idea was to create a safe and inclusive space, welcoming all abilities. My motto was then “If you stick a pair of trainers and go outside, whether it be walk, jog, run or a combo of the three, you have a place in our community.  From this basic philosophy, Belper Running Club was born.” 

 As the club took shape, early support played a vital role in strengthening its roots. Dan Parkin, Membership Co‑ordinator explains how “Jog Derbyshire has played a key role in supporting the club during its initial stages. They provided financial support through funding contributions, as well as practical guidance and expertise around running a community-based running group. This early support helped BRC build strong foundations whilst remaining accessible and affordable. The support from Jog Derbyshire has enabled BRC to focus on safety, inclusivity, and sustainability from the outset. Funding and guidance have helped reduce barriers to participation, support volunteer development, and ensure sessions are well-organised and welcoming to runners of all abilities. In addition, the club benefits from volunteer time, shared local knowledge, and informal promotion through social media and word of mouth.  Given how recently the club was established, one of the most encouraging sources of support has been the local running community itself. Members have naturally stepped forward to help, encourage others, and promote the club, creating a strong sense of shared ownership and momentum.’ Since July 2025, the club has grown from a small start-up group into a recognisable local running community. While running stays central, the identity has broadened to include social connection, wellbeing, and community support, reflecting the diverse motivations of its members”  

This momentum continued as the team worked to reach even more people. Locally, the group has made a real impact, often celebrated on community Facebook pages and highlighted by the Primary Care Network for inspiring more people to get active.  Sophie Cartmell, Run Leader, shared that “BRC has grown quite quickly,  we’ve put a lot of effort into reaching out to the people of Belper and beyond through our social media platforms, word of mouth and we’re doing an NHS-backed Ageing Well Event this weekend too. We want to welcome as many people as possible to our running club; we believe that running is for everyone and will support our members through their running journeys both individually and as a team too.”  

Making sure people knew the group could adapt to them was essential. The heart of BRC has been shaped by those who show up, each bringing their own reasons for moving, Linden Weaver, Club Secretary explains, “There isn’t one singular reason why people choose to move or run there can be thousands. That variety is what makes the community so special. Some people join to be more social, others have a specific running goal, some run to improve their mental health, lose weight, or simply because they bought a pair of shoes they don’t want to waste. Every motivation is equally valid, and this diversity strengthens BRC as a community. It creates an environment where people support each other, broaden goals, and, most importantly, build confidence.

”Building on that foundation, the team has worked hard to ensure the club remains a place where everyone feels supported. Sophie captures this commitment, saying, “Our key values at BRC are structured around inclusivity; we welcome everyone at our run club and that won’t change. We never leave anyone behind and it’s important that no one feels negative about themselves and what they’re doing. We know the effort required to run, and we know it can be hard both physically and mentally. We want to lighten that load for everyone so that they want to keep participating for the long term. Therefore, we aim to cater for as wide a range of paces and abilities as we possibly can, and we ask for feedback regularly to make sure we are offering our community what they need.” And that welcoming feel has been central to the club’s growth as Dan reflects, “BRC attracted its first members through local social media, word of mouth, and visible group runs in the Belper area. Clear messaging that the club was open to all abilities helped people feel confident about joining. A friendly, non-competitive approach, clear communication before sessions, and supportive pacing groups helped ensure new members felt included. Emphasis was placed on no one being left behind, with experienced runners offering encouragement and support to those newer to running.”

While leading a group is no easy task, it is a role filled with pride, purpose and rewarding moments. Jog Derbyshire groups can only exist thanks to the passion, time and dedication of volunteers across the county. With people leading increasingly busy lives where time is precious and schedules are full we are often curious about what inspires someone to step forwards as a volunteer leader.  

Sophie shares how the club transformed both her confidence and sense of belonging, “Being a part of Belper Running Club has made a few very positive impacts on my life, not least all the friends I’ve made being a part of such a great community. I used to see groups of people running in Belper on Monday evenings and wish I could do it too, but I felt embarrassed, like I wasn’t a runner, and I’d just slow everyone down. Signing up for the London Marathon in 2024 (to run in 2025) made me want to try and run with more people so that it wouldn’t be such a shock on the day being surrounded by thousands of other runners! I was pleasantly surprised to be met with warmth and support from everybody at the club from the first evening I ran with them. And beyond that, becoming a leader has enabled me to help others in a similar position to the one I was in less than a couple of years ago. It keeps me motivated, consistent, and accountable, which is wonderful for my own running practice too. The changes I’ve seen in the people who participate are enormous. We have a group of recent C25K graduates who have made friends for life through the program and have gone on to become leaders themselves too - how amazing is that? We have people with various running abilities stepping up to help lead and organise all different kinds of social runs, and we have a hiking group now too! One of the things we’re most proud of at BRC is that in September ’25 we had 30 people start our C25K intake and retained around 20 of those people who went on to complete the course. At our graduation run - the Black Rocks Park Run - the entire group stood at the finish line cheering one another on as they finished. One of the stewards even said, “are you guys always this excited?!” (YES!) Three of the C25K graduates have gone on to become Leaders themselves, fronting our latest C25K intake of 28 people, and two of those people are under 18 which is brilliant. We want to get more young people away from their screens and participate in running! We also did a social 10K in November for the C25K graduates to have a go at; our aim was to get round it together, and that’s exactly what we did! What an achievement for them all to have gone from zero to 10K in just a few short months!”

And that same spirit is echoed in Lindens reflections on leadership and connection. She describes how her approach evolved through the club, explaining, “Being a leader means helping people build their connections, find their place, and understand they are more capable than they think, by enabling them to take part at whatever level, age, pace or ability they are. I have softened my approach over time. My earlier experience leading PT in the military involved a distinctive style of encouragement, more directive and focused on pushing individuals. Leading with BRC has shifted my style to something much softer, more positive, and more focused on building connections. My aim now is to bring people along together as a team, rather than pushing individuals forward.  I felt proud being part of leading the most recent C25K program, from day one, throughout the whole course. Seeing people take the hardest step and show up despite being nervous was inspiring. Watching them hit their first big time goal and then graduating at Parkrun was incredible. Every milestone, every achievement that runners didn’t think they could reach, and the connections they built and still maintain in the club today made me proud. We're also proud of the club as a whole, how we’ve grown, adapted, and become even more positive. Every member contributes to what makes the club special: their effort, the support from other leaders and trustees, and the sense of teamwork. Without all of that, the club wouldn’t be what it is today.” 

James reflects on the club’s early days and the values that guided its development. He recalls, “Something that the trustees all felt was that in our early days of running, we were always very self-conscious as you try and keep up with those that can run better, or faster, or longer than you. It was important to us that we provided groups for people with similar abilities, so they felt good about their progress. We wanted to be a beacon of positivity and develop a community. It was always about being inclusive, providing that safe space and helping nurture relationships. We couldn’t in a thousand years anticipate how quickly the community would develop - we started with around 40 registered members in August 2025, and that has now risen to 220 members, with upwards of 80 showing up on Mondays  We also picked up from social media how women’s safety was compromised at night and over winter. We've aimed a lot of our advertisement towards the women in the community, developed Safeguarding Policies, and appointed an independent Safeguarding Officer for the Club. We are currently working on a Women’s Safety Evening, with the local PCSO, not only addressing how to keep women safe, but working with the men in our group to understand the challenges that women face when running solo in Winter. Our Membership is now 70% Women, and our current Couch to 5K course is 97% women, something we feel should be celebrated.” 

Every success story comes with its own set of challenges, and for BRC, those early hurdles became defining moments of growth. James reflects on the importance of listening and adapting, sharing, “My first conversations were with the existing Leaders and Co-leaders, who were leading the groups and there week in-week out. These had the ground level view of what was working, and more importantly, what wasn’t. The feedback received wasn’t always easy to digest, but essential if we were going to ensure we delivered the best environment we could for our members. We opened discussions with the members too, dropping in what seemed like smaller questions, to encourage open discussion and feedback. We wanted the members to know that this group was theirs too, therefore if something wasn’t working for them, then it wasn’t working for us.  This has snowballed, and members regularly reach out to the trustees directly with feedback, and one of the biggest tools in defining the needs of this community” 

As the club continued to evolve, Linden describes the challenges of building something meaningful from the ground up. She explains, “Becoming a trustee and helping the club find its feet has been a whirlwind! From meeting charity requirements to handling day-to-day admin, which can feel endless at times. The positive side is that with every step, things become smoother and more efficient. Each challenge has helped us grow stronger and more organised. The biggest surprise has been managing the sheer number of people! The incredible growth in membership since August has blown us away. While organizing such a large group can be complex, it’s a great problem to have because it shows how much people value what we’re building together.” 

With the club continuing to grow in confidence and community spirit, the team has begun looking ahead, imagining how BRC can continue to grow while staying true to its roots. Sophie says “Our hopes for the future include collaborations and social events with other running clubs, both locally and further afield. We just want to keep people coming through the C25K programs that we offer and enable them to continue running with us in some of our faster paced groups when they’re ready to do so. We have a strong community of runners beyond our C25K too, who all work towards their own goals and events throughout the year - if we can continue to support those people, all whilst keep our Monday run sessions fun, engaging, challenging and sociable we’ll be very happy with that!” 

And when asked what they would say to anyone considering starting a community group of their own, the team’s reflections highlight just how much belief, collaboration, and heart goes into building something meaningful. James shares this encouragement, saying, “.  I think anyone starting an endeavour like this, fears failure, and in several ways. Constant questions of, ‘What if nobody shows up?’, ‘What if they don’t like what we’re doing?’, ‘What if the leaders don’t like the new approach?’. So many potential routes to failure were a burden, and we are all good at being our own harshest critics. In the end though my advice to anyone else thinking of trying it is, just give it a go, and surround yourself with other people who want to grow with you. This club is a culmination of its people, and as biased as it may be, we have a strong community because of the dedication of the people within it. We thrive together” And Sophie offers reassurance that learning happens along the way, “You’ll learn as you move through the process, and if you have a few good people around you who can help with the logistics and admin then you’ll be able to navigate everything to make it a success. Most importantly, if you’re passionate about running your own community group, and you care about helping the people within your group, then that’ll shine through and it’ll be such a rewarding experience to know that you’re helping people to achieve something that many people think they can’t do. You can flip that narrative on its head and show them that they can! “

Belper Running Club began as a hope that movement could bring people together, and create a space where everyone felt they belonged. What it has become is far greater than anyone imagined. This is a community built on kindness, and shared purpose. It’s not the miles ran or the sessions delivered that make it special, it’s the friendships formed on dark winter evenings, the cheers at finish lines, the encouragement, and the belief, shared by everyone, that the group is for everybody, every pace, every age, every background. The club’s rapid growth is a testament to what happens when people feel welcomed, supported and seen, and is proof that when people come together with passion, and belief in one another, amazing things can happen!