Set yourself a challenge and run The Great Birmingham Run for Caring Minds.

Want to build your fitness, achieve a goal and support a charity at the same time?

Then run as part of Team Caring Minds in The Great Birmingham Run and support your local NHS mental health charity.

A charity run is a great way to raise money for a good cause, bringing people from all walks of life together. Charity running gives a great sense of fulfilment and inspiration. There really is no better feeling than crossing that finishing line knowing that you have made a difference and achieved something amazing for mental health support in Birmingham and Solihull. Exercise is not only good for your physical health, but of course good for your own mental health too.

As well as raising awareness of mental health, a charity run can be a hugely rewarding experience and always makes for a memorable day!

Set your run target (10k or half marathon) then set your fundraising target knowing your efforts will be improving mental health locally by enhancing the work of Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

You can sign up on the Great Run website.

Once you have secured your place, get in touch with the charity team at bsmhft.fundraising@nhs.net who will be delighted to hear from you. They will then help you set up your fundraising page and give you plenty of encouragement and support.

We suggest a fundraising target of at least £200.

You will receive:

  • A free Caring Minds t-shirt to run in showing your support of your local NHS mental health charity
  • Support setting up your fundraising page on JustGiving
  • A great team of Caring Minds runners to run with (depending on pace)
  • A meet up with other members of Team Caring Minds and the fundraising team
  • Guidance on staying well from one of our BSMHFT physical health instructors a week before the race
  • Support, encouragement, whooping and cheering pre run, post run and at various sites en-route
  • A warm glow of knowing you are supporting a great local mental health charity
  • Great kudos at work the next day.

One of our runners this year is Stacey Watkins, Quality Improvement Lead who shares why she is running for Caring Minds this year.

“I’ve always loved doing challenges for charity, the more bizarre the better!

When I was a university student, I abseiled down the House of Fraser building in Birmingham for the Children’s Hospital. More recently for Caring Minds, have had wet sponges thrown at my face for our Feel the Rhythm Beat the Stigma events last summer… I’d love to do a skydive in the future so watch this space.

Caring Minds is close to my heart as I feel so strongly about mental health. It is easy for people to overlook and stigmatise; but when yourself or others around you experience it, it’s something you develop a passion for advocating.

I’ve always been a bit of a couch potato and didn’t do any exercise, early last year I had never done any running before. In June 2024 I completed the Couch to 5k programme, loved running and wanted a bigger challenge, so I signed up for the Great Birmingham Run 10k.

My advice to anyone who wishes to take part in running for Caring Minds is this – small steps make the big things happen. Treat yourself to some good running shoes and start with the Couch to 5k programme, each run you complete will give you a sense of satisfaction. Knowing you are doing something that makes a difference is why I’ve worked in the NHS over seven years, fundraising for our charity is the icing on the cake!”

Louise Hudson, Senior Project Manager has worked at BSMHFT for 11 years and has decided to run the half marathon. Louise said:

“This is a great opportunity to raise awareness of BSMHFT and Caring Minds through an inclusive, supportive and (potentially!) enjoyable event. It’s also a chance to join forces for a great cause. The motivation and support from Caring Minds has been so encouraging.

For me, the charity reinforces the reason we do the job that we do – to support recovery from mental illness. I personally find running helpful for my own mental health. It’s a chance to get some fresh air, process our often-overloaded minds and just take time for ourselves.  

I don’t think any of us need to reach out far to know of someone who has been impacted by mental illness. This just reinforces how important it is to keep raising awareness of mental health and how much support is available to aid our recovery.

I’ve done some half marathons and did the Birmingham half marathon a few years ago.

Running is probably one of the most inclusive and accessible sports you can do. In any run, you have the people who are sprinting for their personal best or newcomers that don’t even know if they can make it to the end! Being nervous is part of the experience but once you have done it, you will feel such an achievement and will no doubt go home and sign up to your next race.

“Focus on you, don’t worry about anyone else (because they are only thinking about themselves as well) and just ask yourself, what’s the worst than can happen? A good pair of trainers and your favourite play list will help along the way.”