Every week in Pontypool Park, parents meet instructor Alex Jones to be put through their paces with an interval session or a 5k run. Babies and toddlers aren’t left at home with other family members – they’re safely strapped in as mini-members of the club. 

And once the hour’s up that week, it’s back to the leisure centre for a coffee and a chat. It’s a community of like-minded people who completely understand what you’re going through – the sleepless nights, teething troubles and feeding worries. They even entertain each other’s little ones during interval sessions.

Why the project works

Thanks to £1,500 of The National Lottery funding distributed by Sport Wales, Free Wheelers has been able to:

• Pay for maintenance of existing equipment to keep everything in top condition.
• Train Alex as a volunteer run leader to help local parents challenge themselves safely.
• Buy six new running buggies, removing cost barriers for parents.

The project set up by Pontypool and District Runners club gives mums (and dads) the chance to take part in exercise, without having to worry about childcare.

Free Wheelers has become a lifeline to many parents. Carving out some time in their week to think about themselves, they can invest in their own health and wellbeing, while showing their children first-hand that being active is fun and important.