Bath Half Marathon 2014

With this funding Mentoring Plus are able to provide a wider variety of activities for their groups such as cookery, woodwork, bicycle workshops, climbing, art, photography and various sports groups. They are designed to assist young people to develop practical, social and educational skills. We have had a really busy year; receiving 55 new referrals. We have been able to organise 16 activities with 40 young people attending. These activities provide a great way of introducing young people to the Mentoring Plus project. It’s fantastic to see young and vulnerable people engaged in activities which they just wouldn't have access to without an organisation like Mentoring Plus and the funds provided by the runners of Balf Half Marathon. Mentoring Plus not only reduces the risk of young people offending but also empowers them to reach their potential.

The Community Bus is a double decker, fully converted as a mobile community centre and a £1000 grant from the Bath Half Marathon fund enabled it to be kitted out with a kitchen, toilet, 240V electricity, lighting, heating, carpeted seating area, sensory toys, dressing up, book and information corner, messy play area with paints, play-dough, arts and crafts, a sand box and lots more. Stay & play sessions provide a friendly and welcoming environment for parents, carers and pre-school children to meet in and play. The April play schemes were successful again at the three sites in Haydon, Timsbury and Paulton. 141 children registered for the Community Bus but 214 children were recorded in total which is a fantastic result. The Community Bus exists to improve the quality of life for its users – many who are socially or geographically isolated – living in some of the more rural communities which surround the city of Bath. We love the idea of mobile community centre – able to work throughout Bath and North East Somerset – holding session in villages, estates or wherever it is needed.

The club enables adults with learning and/or physical disabilities to take part in a regular fitness class in a supported setting. Our members have a wide range of learning and physical disabilities, including one wheelchair user. Shortly after the club started the instructor took some basic indications of fitness levels. Follow up assessments were carried out after 6 months. The assessments focused on many of the recognised components of physical fitness: motor skills; muscular endurance; cardiovascular fitness and flexibility. The following was noted: 1. Average increase in cardiovascular fitness of 40%; 2. Increased agility/balance in all participants; 3. Marked increase in success in co-ordination tests. This brilliant local organisation believes that all children and adults with a learning disability should be able to access the same play, social and leisure activities as their non-disabled peers. Providing the funding to enable the Fitness Club to be set up and seeing such great outcomes for the participants makes us feel really proud of the runners who donate to the Bath Half Marathon Fund, enabling us to support such fantastic local organisations.