Mental Health Awareness Week 2020

It’s been a while since we updated our blog, it’s unfortunate that due to COVID-19 and the temporary closing of gyms and schools, most of our projects are currently on hold. That’s not to say the Ingle Runners have hung up their trainers and the Brendan Ingle Foundation has come to a total halt. May 18th-24th marks the official Mental Health Awareness Week, and we feel compelled to share some information with you, our followers around this campaign. This year, the Mental Health Foundation have focused on the theme of kindness. Here is a link to their homepage which is full of useful resources and information! https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week

Whether you have previously had issues with your mental health or not, we find ourselves in incredibly testing times. We aren’t living in our normal routines and unable to access our usual outlets such as the gym, social arenas like bars and restaurants, and we can’t see our families for a much needed hug! Some people will be feeling lonely and isolated, others will feel a pressing anxiety for what the future may hold, and many will be having financial worries too. Before the Coronavirus pandemic was declared, 792 million people world wide were effected by mental health issues. It’s hard to even imagine what the numbers are today.

There are plenty of steps we can take to maintain good mental and emotional health, such as exercise regularly, eat wholesome nutritious food, express your feelings and emotions to your friends, family and colleagues, do your best to strike balance in your lifestyle, find a hobby or passion that you can focus on (this can be something as simple as knitting, reading a book, volunteering and so on.) However we understand that these things are often easier said than actually done…

Mental Health is invisible, it comes in many different forms and disorders and there is a vast spectrum of ways in which it takes hold of peoples lives. To name only a few, depression & anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), eating disorders, Schizophrenia, Bipolar, Social Anxiety and Post-traumatic Stress Order. It’s important to remember that although we cannot see it, that doesn’t mean it’s not there. Follow the link to the website for Mind Charity to get a little more information on different types of mental health problems… https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/

 

Sometimes when a person is suffering they struggle to reach out for help, they may feel like they’re the only person feeling this way, they might think they are a burden, or that there simply is no way out of that dark place… During lockdown, AND on the other side, make a point of reaching out to those who might be on their own or you could need help.

Helplines:

Samaritans: 116 123

Mind Charity: 0300 123 3393

Sheffield Rethink helpline: 0808 801 0440

NHS Single Point of Access: 0114 223636

Remember, you are not alone.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Keep calm and Be Kind

Amidst the outbreak of a pandemic, we are in anxious times of uncertainty and panic. Whilst the Coronavirus is what’s on everyones mind, and anxiety inducing to say the least, we need to stay calm and connected as a community. At present, it’s hard to grasp the scale of the virus, and this can be incredibly overwhelming… It’s important that we take care of our mental health as much as we do our physical health. As well as communicate, and treat one another with compassion. Perhaps you are absolutely fine, but always take it into consideration that people cope with situations differently, so do check in with one another.

With all of this talk of self isolation it’s important that within our communities, we act with kindness. Think of the more vulnerable members of society, is there anyone you can reach out to and help in some way? SHOP RESPONSIBLY, if we all shop for what we need, there will be enough food & supplies for everyone.

The media is a powerful thing, being well informed is important, but we must learn when enough is enough. Try not to let the anticipation and ever changing statistics take over your every thought and feeling. Remember the fatality rate is very low, and to ensure we prioritise the safety of the elderly and already unwell, not forgetting we are very fortunate to have homes and beds to take refuge in. How we treat one another in desperate times, will change how we come out on the other side. Small acts of kindness will bridge the gaps that at the moment are being filled with fear.

There are a number of things you can do to manage any anxiety about the virus…

  • Limit your time spent reading/watching the news & social media
  • Go outside for walks in fresh open air (if you are not well)
  • Listen to music & podcasts
  • Read a book
  • Spend time with family at home
  • Stay connected; FaceTime/make a phone with your friends and family

There are some basic steps to take that keep your chances of contracting the virus to a minimum, these are as followed:

-Wash your hands as often as you can (for 20 seconds) using sanitiser gel if warm running water is not available

  • Avoid touching your face, mouth or eyes with unwashed hands
  • Keep your time spent in public or busy places to a minimum
  • Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow. (NOT into your hands!)

Coronavirus Symptoms: (stay at home for 7 days if you have any of the following)

  • High temperature (& chills)
  • Continuous coughing
  • Shortness of breathe/ trouble breathing

Follow the link below for guidelines and advice on Coronavirus on the NHS website…

https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response

Rogers Inspiring Story: In His own Words…

I’m 53 years old born in June 1967. I got married at St Thomas’ church opposite the gym 30 years ago in September this year. I have 3 children who are all now grown up. I work at Supertram on the wheel lathe ( I machine the tram tyres)

In January 2017 I weighed 18 st 9.5 lbs
I’d been wanting to lose weight for sometime but didn’t have the know how or the determination. My daughter had joined weight watchers at the village hall a few months earlier and lost over 20lbs. I hoped it could help me and was inspired to join by her success . To be honest it wasn’t really my environment sat in a room full of women discussing healthy eating and weight loss issues. But I decided to give it my all and committed to it 100%. I followed the plan and with the support of everyone at the group the weight dropped off 5 st 4.5 lbs in just under a year.  I also did C25K to help me but it took me about 6 months to complete the 9 week plan .

Over the next 6 months I ran a bit more, but my weight fluctuated.
In June 2018, I got a Bakers cyst behind my knee and this unfortunately me stopped doing any exercise for 3 months! This lead me to gradually put weight back on and whilst I never gave up, I wasn’t as focused and stopped following the plan properly.  Once the cyst cleared up I just didn’t pick up my exercise again and slowly gained just over 2 st over the next 12 months.

In Summer of 2019 I started to become aware of a running group for women down at the Ingle gym as one of my daughters friends was running with them.
I saw pictures on Facebook and Instagram of them going up Jenkin rd and was incredibly impressed! I’d also seen posts about the interval sessions on the common on Thursdays too but held back from joining.
I then I saw that there would be a mens group starting up. I had a chat with a friend Andy Barker about joining and we both said we’d possibly give it a go .
My eldest son Jordan asked if I fancied doing concord Parkrun, I’d not been running for ages but decided to give it a go. It was just before the mens group launched and I think to publicise it the women’s group were out in force! You couldn’t help but be impressed with the way they supported each other that day, the camaraderie between them was tremendous!

I had a chat with Wayne about joining the mens group after the run and although I couldn’t make the first meeting I joined on the 2nd Tuesday.
It was a bit of a shock when we went up Newman rd that night !! But I learned it’s ok to run /walk if you need to. It was a tough start but I was hooked. As the weeks went by I slowly improved my stamina. I started attending Thursday nights too and have really got hooked on Saturday Parkrun.
Everyone at the group is really supportive of each other even though most are far better runners than me they never look down on you.

Weight wise, the running has really focused my mind again. I know now mindset is so important. Since the the turn of the year I’m ½ stone down and at my lowest since May last year. My goal is to get myself in to the healthy BMI range and with amount of running I’m doing combined with healthy food choices I’m sure its attainable.

                                   

Connect 5 K… Move Against Dementia

Last weekend we teamed up with SOAR and Park Run UK to launch a very special monthly event, the Connect 5K ‘Move Against Dementia’. The Ingle runners put their heads together with community development worker Rosie who focuses on Dementia friendly activity and awareness in the area. We would like to thank Rosie for coming in prior to the run to deliver an educational talk to the Ingle Runners Group at our monday post run coffee meet. All of the runners who attended learnt some valuable tips and facts on Dementia, as well as becoming Dementia Friends within the community.

The aim of this Park Run event is to bring people together, raise awareness and create a safe friendly environment for people living with Dementia, or close to those who are.

Amongst the Ingle Runners, star baker/runner Emma and Mens run leader Wayne put a huge amount of time into preparing flags, badges and a selection of delicious cakes for the first event on Saturday the 25th. It’s just like any other saturday Park Run at Concord, it’s for absolutely everybody, all levels and abilities and you can even do one lap if you wish. There’s plenty of ambassadors to help navigate you in the right direction, and offer a bit of support or be friendly face if that’s what you need.

We meet from 8.30am, setting off at 9, monthly… Just look out for the customised flag and Ingle Runners/ high vis jackets and get yourself a badge to notify others you’re taking part. Following the run/walk event itself, there will be refreshments upstairs in the Concord Sports Centre function room, so don’t forget to grab yourself a free voucher for this too!

     

It was a great turn out for the first event, we hope to see you at the next one on Saturday the 29th of February. Get in touch with us if you would like to get involved by taking part or helping out. Together lets Move Against Dementia.

Dr Jo Maher’s Story: The Importance of Physical Activity

I am Dr Jo Maher, I’ve been a GP at Wincobank Medical Centre for 17 years, initially as a salaried doctor and for the past 5 years as a partner of the practice. In addition I teach undergraduates at Sheffield Medical School & supervise junior doctors. I live with my partner Chris & our 3 boys aged 9,13 &15 years.

I’ve been in Sheffield since 1992 when I came as a student. I am the first woman in my family to go to Uni & the only Doctor. Sheffield is a bit like my home town of Bristol with a good music & a strong cultural scene. As I have found out in the past 9 years it’s also a great place to be active.

My Dad died in 2011 and I was very close to him. He used to cycle to work each day at Bristol University. Thinking about him & having young active 3 boys got me thinking, how am I going to keep myself fit as well as being a Mum & having a career? So I decided to start cycling to work, just like my dad had done for 40 years. I borrowed a Cycleboost (now called Pedalready) bike and managed my 5 mile commute once or twice a week.

I tried running for the first time using the NHS couch to 5k app in 2014 and it took me 18 months to get to the end of the 9 week program! I found it hard to motivate myself without the support of a group. I didn’t feel confident to go out with friends who already ran as I didn’t see myself as a runner then.

I only occasionally went running until 2017 when I took my boys to Graves Junior Park Run, after taking about it to one of my colleagues who said we should give it a try. I volunteered and really enjoyed watching the triumph the kids felt for taking part. I then tried Park Run myself and felt a great sense of achievement too.

In 2018, my partner Chris told me he was teaching someone I might have heard of, as she had strong links to the Wincobank community. Chris teaches Creative Writing at Hallam Uni & someone called Bridget Ingle was taking the MA course as she wanted to write her Dad- Brendan’s -memoir.

The Medical Centre was doing some work with Dementia UK to become the first GP surgery in Sheffield to be recognised as Dementia Friendly. I asked Chris if he would ask Bridget if it would be okay to pass on her email to me, as I wondered if she knew about what was happening in the area for people living with dementia… Little did I know where this would lead!

Happily Bridget said yes and we bounced emails backwards and forwards and realised we had similar ideas about the potential for improving what was available to people in the Wincobank area, not just for dementia but for physical activity generally. We met up for the first time in the autumn of 2018, just weeks after Brendan had died. Bridget & Tara had an idea to set up a women’s running group and asked me if I could support & take part.

I immediately said yes- I knew how hard it was to run on your own and find the confidence to take part in Park Run. I also plucked up the courage to join my mum friends, but was struggling to fit running into my schedule regularly.

For years I saw women and men come to me at the practice with health problems that I knew would improve with a chance to exercise. I also knew they were also struggling to juggle busy lives and look after themselves at the same time, just like me. It was great to talk about Ingle Runners and Concord ParkRun.

In 2018 Wincobank MC signed up to become a Parkrun practice and several of the nursing staff & doctors took part. I got to know Angela the Run Director at Concord. I now felt confident to describe myself as a runner and I wanted other people to feel the sense of achievement I feel.

As a result of my involvement with Ingle Runners and Concord Parkrun I was asked this summer to take on a professional role for the Sheffield physical activity strategy, Move More.

Move More is about communities and involving the whole city in opportunities to be active. Meetings are held with council and hospital managers as well as community services. I believed I had something to offer from my personal as well as professional experience & to make sure what Bridget & Tara have shown me was shared with as many people as possible. I felt strongly that a female voice was needed, from someone who had seen the challenges that normal people face and learnt how these can be overcome.

In 2019 I completed my first race, the Round Sheffield Run & did my first 10k race in October, the TenTenTen. I also borrowed another bike from Pedalready, this time an electric one. After this I bought an e-bike and now cycle to work regularly. I’ve done 1,150miles on it since April! It’s a lot easier than a push bike, especially up big hills. I use it to get to and from work and sometimes use it for home visits.

Looking back I can’t believe how much my life has changed for the better since getting involved with biking and then running. It is the running that has given me most confidence & opened my eyes to what is possible when people work together. Both give me great satisfaction. I’ve met so many amazing people & feel so much more connected with the Wincobank community since becoming an Ingle Runner!

Lee’s Inspiring Story: Ingle Runners

I’m Lee and my journey with running began in my teenage years when I started taking part in cross country at school. I found that running long distance came easily and I began to excel at this particular discipline. From this I then went on to run for the school, spending some of my weekends running around Graves Park. I developed a love for running which in turn led to a six month stint with the Hallamshire Harriers.

However, like a lot of teenagers other factors came into play such as girls and nights out with my mates. Running fell by the wayside, except for getting me out of a few sticky situations!!

Then at sixteen my running ambitions hit another hurdle. I started to struggle with my health and was diagnosed with Crohns Disease which can be a debilitating and life restricting inflammatory bowel disease. The disease also left me with osteoporosis. This led to long spells in hospital over a two year period, resulting in major surgery, having my large bowel removed and a permanent ileostomy bag fitted. Although this was a life changing decision it gave me my quality of life back and has never held me back.

I went on to secure employment, meet my partner Lex and settled down in my own home. Life was busy and so I only flirted with the idea of getting back into running and improving my overall fitness. Running was something I was always thinking about and was always going to do but time kept ticking by.

Then in 2017 I began to face my next battle. After having a few problems with my shoulder and hand I was sent by my GP for further exploratory tests. While this was ongoing my partner was facing her own physical and mental health challenges. Her struggle with mental health began to escalate and accessing the appropriate support became even more challenging.

In March 2018 my test results were back. It wasn’t good news. I was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s Disease and the test also highlighted an aortic root aneurysm. My life changed again overnight.  Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects dopamine levels in the brain which can impact on an individual’s movement, speech, balance, memory, sleep and emotional wellbeing to name a few. However, each person’s experience of Parkinson’s Disease is individual to them. At this point I am in the early stages of my diagnosis and treatment. If you met me in the street you probably wouldn’t know I had Parkinson’s Disease.

Although the movement side of the disease is minimal my diagnosis has had an impact on my mental health. Then the unthinkable happened and Lex’s mental health began to deteriorate, ultimately impacting on her physical health and leading to her sadly passing away.

The combination of my diagnosis and losing my partner of 22 years has affected my mental health and at times it has been a struggle. Despite my struggles with my health the one thing that kept coming up in relation to Parkinson’s Disease and mental health was the positive impact of exercise. This naturally brought me back to running.

Getting out and starting to run again gave me focus and has been a big help with my mental health. After doing a few Park Runs I heard about a local running group near where I live, The Ingle Runners. So I decided to give it a go and joined the men’s group. Although it had been a few years since I had ran regularly the team at Ingle Runners are very welcoming and supportive and have put me at ease. The running club is for all abilities and it doesn’t matter what stage you are at in respect of your running journey, anyone can join in.

Despite all the health challenges I have faced throughout my life I am getting out there and running again. I cannot emphasise enough the positive effect that joining the club has had on my mental health. It has reopened my social life, got me out of the house and stopped me climbing the walls. It’s restored my motivation and my fighting spirit not to give in.

So would I recommend Ingle Runners you ask……….you bet I would!!!

Bring On 2020!

Well what a year for the Brendan Ingle Foundation! As the year draws to a close and a new one begins TOMORROW, we are reflecting on all of the great things that have happened in the last twelve months. All aspects of the foundation have been busy, and increasingly so as the year has progressed.

First of all we opened the doors to a couple of new members of staff and associates, enabling the foundation to grow and evolve for bigger and more ambitious projects. We also welcomed back former Professional Boxer and Amatuer National Champion Amer Killa Khan as a Boxing Project Coach for the Brendan Ingle Foundation. Killa was already working closely with the professional boxers but now works along side the school sessions.

It’s been an incredibly productive time seeing many projects come into fruition, in fact too many things to list them all here. We can start by mentioning the successful launch of the Holiday Summer Camp in the gym which started in July. This was a mixture of fundamental movement, from boxing to gymnastics to team sports, offering something for the youths in the area to explore over the summer holidays. Watch this space for future school holiday camps.

There was a change in the weekly sessions in the Ingle Boxing Gym, we added two new adult only boxing classes to the schedule, as well as a women only session, making the sport more inclusive and accessible to anyone interested.

The Ingle Runners have grown in numbers, strength and stamina every single week, and Wayne even started up the Ingle Runners Mens session. It would seem the sky is the limit for our runners. It’s been a pleasure for the leaders to see so many inspirational people getting involved and taking control of their health and fitness, building a bigger and safer community in Wincobank.

We continue to work closely with Hinde house Secondary School on a number of different year groups and mixture of sessions. Our Brendan Ingle Scholars from Year 7 through to Year 11 achieved their Bronze awards, and many of these boxers showing huge potential! Next term they will be working towards their Silver Awards. From an education perspective, we continue to mentor another group of pupils from the same school, focused more on skills outside of physical activity, and building good foundations for life post school education. With thanks to Rachel at RMC Dance Academy we have been able to deliver classes in boxing and dance at Concord Primary.

Finally we have seen a huge shift of improvement and drive within the Ingle Boxing Academy, the amatuers have shown heart and dedication in their training and the season isn’t over yet! Thanks again to the coaches for keeping the wheels turning and the focus sharp.

We look forward to continuing the projects already in place, to see the progress and development of all involved, and for the exciting things in the pipeline which we can’t wait to reveal. We are grateful for all of the support for the work in Brendan’s name. Wishing you all a very happy and proactive New Year… See you in 2020!

Brendan Ingle 19th January 1982
The Sheffield School of Boxing

Festive Family Park Run & Litter pick

Our superstar Ingle Runner leaders Kirsty, Bridget and Tara have organised a morning of family fitness, litter picking and festive treats. This special event is to encourage families to come and take part in the Concord Park Run on Saturday the 7th of December, which starts at 9am. Whatever your age, walk or run, whatever suits your ability,  the main thing is that you all take part. This is the perfect opportunity for those who have been curious about the park run but haven’t quite taken the steps to taking part, come along and see what it’s all about. Look out for the Ingle Runners in pink or blue!
          
After the run join us for refreshments at St Thomas’ Church on Newman Road, followed by an organised litter pick in the Wincobank area… It’s the time of year to give back to our community and create a bit of togetherness on this lead up to christmas! There will be mince pies and other festive refreshments for everyone taking part in the litter pick & run. 
Follow the link to get started and register for Park Run. You will receive a personal barcode which you can use every time, right across the city. The best part? It’s free! We hope to see you and your loved ones there.
Keep up to date with local litter picking and other community events by giving the ‘Love Wincobank’ Facebook page a like & follow…

 

Ingle Boxing Academy

Boxing. Education. Community. These three components make up the Brendan Ingle Foundation, and if it wasn’t for the boxing club, both professional and amateur, the foundation wouldn’t be able to carry out the work it does.

The Ingle Boxing Academy is off to a very promising start this season with twenty active amateur boxers making up the current team. This includes three Yorkshire Champions, Jay Bunclark, Charlie Ellis and Faiz Raga, who will be fighting again on the 10th of November in the regional pre quarter finals in Hull.

                                        

We are more than thrilled to hear positive feedback from officials, who are noticing a huge improvement over the last eighteen months. All of our boxers are keeping busy, always in the gym training hard, regularly taking bouts and showing consistent improvements. They have been giving it one hundred percent in their performances, and win or lose they leave it all in the ring which is a credit to themselves, to their families and to the Ingle Boxing Academy.

Previously mentioned, Liam Arundel is continuing to works hard, who trains closely with coach Amer ‘Killa’ Khan, we are seeing an increase in his skills and dedication to both boxing and his education every week.

Max Ellis, Adam Abbas, Callum Hannon and Ryan McNally are all improving with each bout, showing determination and promising development in their boxing skills.

         

A special mention to the dedicated coaches who spend countless late nights in the gym, and take the boxers to shows all over the country on a voluntary basis. As well as support and encourage our young boxers in these important years of their amatuer careers. BIG thanks to Richard, Andy, Rash, Dean, Rikki, Matt, Isah, Conor, Musa & Regan.

The Ingle Boxing Academy is excited to announce a home boxing show onThursday 14th November, at the Greasbrough WMC, Church Street, Rotherham. Tickets will be £10, doors open at 6.45pm and first bout at 7.45pm. Come and show your support and see for yourselves the hard work this team has put in so far. We hope to see you there!

Ingle Runners Take over!

Since November last year the Brendan Ingle Foundation has helped fund the Ingle Runners Women’s group. Started up and ran by Bridget and Tara Ingle, and Kirsty Kelly, the numbers are on the increase every single week. Nearly 60 ladies attend across the two running sessions per week.

Photo Credit: Sheffield Star. Tara and Bridget Ingle

As a part of a Safer Sheffield and Community Well-being campaign these sessions have not only boosted the health and wellbeing of the participants, but also created a safe place for the them to come and feel included. The sense of community and support amongst these groups are second to none.

 

Off the back of this huge success the Brendan Ingle Foundation has launched a women only boxing session last month, as well as a men’s Ingle Runners group. Through the support and encouragement these sessions provide, participants have built up enough confidence to take part in the weekend Park Runs. The Ingle Runners have their own Park Run network and are clocking up the miles every week. There is no limit to how big a community can be, and Wincobank is certainly leading by example!

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date on all of our projects and sessions.

https://twitter.com/inglefoundation

https://www.instagram.com/inglefoundation/

https://www.facebook.com/brendaninglefoundation