Donations made by participants of this year’s Bath Half Marathon have meant more than £20,000 has been granted to projects across the local area.
Projects funded include providing £1,840 to help Bath City Football Club run summer play sessions and £1,728 to Nova Sports and Coaching to organise paddleboarding session for young people with physical and learning disabilities.
£2,000 was also given to the West of England Rural Network to provide direct support for older people who have become socially isolated and inactive.
Other funding includes £2,000 granted to the Southside Family Project to create play activities for children at after-school community hub groups in Foxhill, Twerton, Writhlington and Keynsham, and £1,904 to the charity SWALLOW to provide accessible and fun Zumba sessions for adults with learning disabilities in and around Westfield and Midsomer Norton.
The donations were made by those participants in the 2024 Bath Half who agreed to donate to the Bath Half Marathon Fund when they entered.
The 2025 Bath Half, which will be organised for the first time by London Marathon Events, takes place on Sunday 16th March.
Entries (priced at £55 per place) are available to buy now at www.bathhalf.co.uk
Jenny Johnson, founder and director of Nova Sports and Coaching, said: “We were so pleased to have received a Bath Half Marathon Community Fund grant.
“It’s so important to us as an organisation that we are able to offer experiences and opportunities that everyone can access and this grant enabled us to provide some fantastic paddleboarding sessions in the summer holidays for neurodiverse children and their siblings, as well as a swimming gala for young people with physical and learning disabilities.
“Without the grant, we know that many people would miss out. Our activities are not only fun and engaging for participants, but they also give vital respite to the parents, carers and families we work with.”
Denise Perrin, Project Manager for West of England Rural Network, said: “Small grants such as this one from the Bath Half Marathon Community Fund can make a big difference.
“At Rural Moves, our agents help older people in rural areas with mobility and mental health issues to improve their mobility, stability and core strength through exercise.
“This grant from the Bath Half Community Fund helped set up a walking group for people who had lost confidence to walk very far and on their own, which has been a tremendous success.”
Joanna Wales, Event Lead of the Bath Half Marathon, said: “The Bath Half Marathon Community Fund has raised more than £570,000 in the past 20 years to support the vital work being done in our communities to inspire people to become and remain active.
“The grants for this year showcase the breadth of projects and people who benefit from the Fund across the region and we thank all those participants from our 2024 event who kindly donated and made these grants possible.”
The full list of projects funded includes:
- The Southside Family Project was awarded £2,000. The funds will go towards creative play activities for children at after-school community hub groups in Foxhill, Twerton, Writhlington and Keynsham, creating a group art project together across the year in each of the communities
- West of England Rural Network was awarded £2,000. The funds will go towards direct one-to-one support to increase active lifestyles for older people who, through circumstances or poor physical and/or mental health, are becoming very socially isolated, inactive and housebound.
- Oasis Hub Bath was awarded £1,955. The funds will go towards extending and expanding a trauma-informed yoga class, currently delivered in partnership with Focus Counselling.
- SWALLOW was awarded £1,904. The funds will go towards accessible and fun Zumba sessions for adults with learning disabilities in and around Westfield and Midsomer Norton.
- Bath City Football Club Foundation was awarded £1,840. The funds will go towards funding coaches’ time to run sessions at the Bath Area Play Project this summer.
- Bath and North East Somerset Carers’ Centre was awarded £1,828. The funds will go towards providing young carers opportunities to experience physical activities to improve their physical and mental health.
- Nova Sports and Coaching was awarded £1,728. The funds will go towards providing paddleboarding sessions for young people with physical and learning disabilities in Bath with adventure company Original Wild. Additionally, to provide first-ever swimming/hydrotherapy gala for young people with physical and learning disabilities in Radstock.
- Bath Mencap Society was awarded £1,175. The funds will go towards Friday Night Bowling Club for adults with additional needs.
- First Steps (Bath) was awarded £1,175. The funds will go towards an inspiring trip to Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm for the children and families from First Steps Twerton and Moorlands Community Nursery.
- Keynsham and District Mencap Society was awarded £1,175. The funds will go towards Super Saturday Club, a weekly club in Bath for children with a learning disability. Members are five to 18 years old, and enjoy social activities promoting connection, fun and new experiences.
- Genesis Trust was awarded £1,129.27. The funds will go towards supporting three core physical activities held across the summer and autumn for the Trust, which supports vulnerable and homeless people in the Bath area.