Active Travel

At Hillcrest Surgery, we are proud to partner with parkrun at Gunnersbury Park to encourage our community to stay active and support their wellbeing.

– Parkrun is a non profit that organises free, weekly 5k events every Saturday morning in areas of open space.
– There are also 2k junior parkruns for 4-14 year olds and their families on Sunday mornings.
– All events are delivered by local volunteer teams.
– They are not races, and people can walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate.
– Parkruns are open to all, including those who are inactive or have health conditions.
– They are suitable for the whole family to take part in.

Leading research papers relating to parkrun and its impact can be found here. This evidence shows that parkrun is a force for social good. It improves mental and physical health, increases confidence and self-esteem, promotes the development of skills, fosters the development of meaningful connections and helps people better manage long term conditions.

In 2018 researchers from Sheffield Hallam University conducted a survey to assess the impact of parkrun on health and wellbeing. A full copy of the reports can be downloaded here. After participating at parkrun;

– 91% of all respondents reported a sense of personal achievement
– 89% reported improvements to their fitness
– 85% reported improvements to their physical health
– 69% reported improvements to their mental health
– 79% reported improvements to their happiness,
– Those who also volunteer reported an 84% improvement to their happiness

Evidence also suggests that inactive and less active people increased their activity by around 75% as a result of parkrun participation. In 2019, 35% of UK registrants were from the bottom two deprivation quartiles, with 85,000 being from the lowest quartile. The average time to complete 5k a parkrun is getting slower each year with the increased number of inactive people and walkers taking part. In 2019, 142,000 walks were completed at 5k parkruns in the UK.

Saturday parkrun

The 5k parkrun takes place every Saturday at 9:00am at Gunnersbury Park, located in South Ealing, West London. It is a free, friendly event where people of all fitness levels are welcome to walk, jog, run, volunteer, or simply cheer others on.

Junior parkrun

For children, 2k junior parkrun events for 4–14 year olds take place every Sunday at Acton Park. Families are welcome to attend and support their children in staying active.

How to take part

Before attending your first event, please register with parkrun. You only need to register once, and you can use the same barcode for all future events.

– Register here: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/register/?eventName=gunnersbury
– Remember to bring a scannable copy of your barcode when you attend.

Taking part in parkrun is a great way to improve your physical and mental wellbeing while connecting with your local community.

The Ramblers – Walking Group: Join the Ramblers – Ramblers  https://www.ramblers.org.uk/membership

The Ramblers is a UK charity dedicated to encouraging people to walk more and enjoy the benefits of being active outdoors. The organisation provides information on local walking routes, group walks, and community walking opportunities across the UK. By making walking accessible and social, The Ramblers supports physical activity, improves wellbeing, and helps people of all ages stay active while connecting with nature and their local communities.

GoodGym – GoodGym – Do Good, Get Fit | GoodGym – Do Good, Get Fit

GoodGym is a community initiative that encourages people to stay active by combining physical exercise with volunteering. Participants run, walk, or cycle to complete helpful tasks in their local area, such as supporting community projects or assisting older residents. By linking physical activity with social connection and community support, GoodGym helps individuals improve their health and wellbeing while making a positive impact locally.

Walking Trails – https://www.alltrails.com/en-gb

AllTrails is a digital platform that helps individuals discover and explore local walking, hiking, and cycling routes. The app provides detailed trail maps, difficulty levels, distance information, and reviews from other users, making it easier for people to find safe and suitable outdoor activities. By helping users locate accessible routes and track their progress, AllTrails encourages regular physical activity and supports healthier, more active lifestyles.

An essential way to be proactive about our health is by taking preventative measures, such as exercising regularly and maintaining a clean, balanced diet. Within the NHS, the production of medication accounts for around 25% of emissions. This means that while medication is vital when needed, there are often healthier and more sustainable ways to care for ourselves before medical treatment becomes necessary. By prioritising prevention, we not only support our own wellbeing but also reduce the environmental impact associated with healthcare.

These approaches are called preventative measures because they focus on preventing illness before it develops, reducing the likelihood that medication will be required later.

One example of this approach within the NHS is social prescribing. Social prescribing aims to address the underlying issues that may affect a person’s wellbeing, rather than focusing solely on medical treatment.

The NHS works to reduce health inequalities by tackling the wider determinants of health — the social and environmental factors that influence people’s wellbeing. Good health is shaped not only by medical care, but also by stable housing, financial security, education, employment, and opportunities to stay physically active. Challenges such as debt, poor housing conditions, and limited access to safe spaces for exercise can significantly affect both physical and mental health.

By working with local authorities, community organisations, and public health partners, the NHS supports initiatives that address these underlying factors. This helps prevent illness before it develops and ensures that everyone has a fair opportunity to live a healthy life.

Social prescribing link workers play a key role in delivering this support. They spend time with individuals, focus on “what matters to me”, and take a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. Their role is to connect people with appropriate community groups, services, and support networks.

Link workers build trusting relationships and provide personalised guidance. Through their work they:

– strengthen community resilience
– reduce health inequalities by addressing issues such as debt, poor housing, and physical inactivity
– encourage people to become more actively involved in their local communities

They also help ensure that existing community groups are accessible and sustainable, and sometimes support individuals in creating new groups, working collaboratively with local partners.

Depending on the local area, link workers may be known by different titles, such as community connector, wellbeing advisor, community navigator, or health advisor.

Social prescribing also works alongside active signposting schemes. These are lighter-touch approaches where staff in places such as GP surgeries or libraries provide information about local services and activities. This works well for people who are confident in accessing support independently.

However, social prescribing offers additional personalised support for individuals who may need more guidance to engage with community services or address underlying issues affecting their wellbeing.

Research shows that social prescribing can have a significant positive impact. Evidence suggests it improves wellbeing and helps people gain more control over their lives. Evaluations of social prescribing programmes have also shown reduced pressure on NHS services. For example, a study by the University of Westminster reported 28% fewer GP consultations and 24% fewer A&E attendances among people who received social prescribing support.

There are many factors that effect a persons health, not just medical and many people go to their GPs as it is a familiar route to seek help. Social prescribing provides a way to enable general practice to help people who have more than just a medical need.

If you are a patient at Hillcrest Surgery and you are interested in getting support from our Social Prescriber, please do not hesitate to let any of our staff know.

If you would like to read more about this, click this link https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/social-prescribing/

Evidence from the Evaluation of the Rotherham Social Prescribing Service – https://www.shu.ac.uk/centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/social-prescribing-and-the-value-of-small-providers-evidence

Community based volunteering – Green

West Ealing Green spaces – transform unused and unloved plots of land About — West Ealing Green Spaces

Do something good – type ‘gardening’ for green based activities in the area. gardening – Do Something Good

Mindfood – an Ealing-based charity supporting people with depression, anxiety and stress to improve their wellbeing through gardening, mindfulness & creativity
https://www.mindfood.org.uk

Further Reading

Over Prescribing medication Reducing medicine wastage – working together to support our NHS, our well-being and our planet – BJGP Life

THE NHS: CARBON FOOTPRINT – https://www.fph.org.uk/media/3126/k9-fph-sig-nhs-carbon-footprint-final.pdf

Health Benefits of Action on Climate Change – https://www.fph.org.uk/media/2537/k5-fph-sig-health-benefits-of-action-on-climate-change-final.pdf