My name is Stuart Withers and I live in Littlehampton, although I am originally from Belfast.
I have been running for about seven years and, although I may not be the fastest or run the furthest, I run as I find it really helps with my mental as much as my physical health. It is “me time” where I can get out there and clear my head.
I can be found most Saturdays at Littlehampton Prom parkrun. I have been there since it started in 2019. I am one of the Run Directors so can be found volunteering more than running.
I have always found the inclusivity of parkrun to be one of its greatest things. It doesn’t matter what your ability or disability is, everyone is welcome at parkrun. I had always looked for ways to help more and VI guide running seemed the next step. Covid meant that plans were put on hold but once things opened up again, I took the English Athletics (EA) sight awareness course and qualified as a guide. I have been doing this at parkrun since. Not as often as I may like, but always when I can. A guide needs to be able to run faster than the person they are guiding and we always seemed to get speedy runners looking for help! Last summer I decided it was time to do something about that.
Anyone can be a guide; you don’t have to have an EA qualification. I thought it would be great to see if there was any interest in guide running and so I put a post out on the Prom parkrun Facebook page, hoping that I would get a few people interested. I was overwhelmed by the demand and I ended up holding four courses in August 2024, and took 28 people through the basics of how to be a guide.
Worthing Striders running club also approached me as one of their members was a VI runner and they wanted to help. I took another 12 members there through the course.
VI guides need runners as much as VI runners need guides. This is where the local sight loss charities and groups are key. I know where the guides are and they know their members. I approached a few local groups from Bognor Regis to Brighton and it was Sight Support Worthing that showed the most interest.
They held an interest day at Worthing parkrun with staff and members in attendance promoting their work and advertising their place as one of the charity partners at this year’s Worthing 10k event on 8th June (more info about that here!). Worthing have a few regular VI runners, two of whom are currently going strong with their marathon training plans: one for London and one for Brighton.
This led to requests from Worthing based runners and I have just completed two more courses and another 12 runners have had their basic introduction to VI guiding. Hopefully I will be doing another course next month for another local club. If you are interested in becoming a guide runner, please do drop me an email, check out the Facebook pages for the various parkruns or check in with your running group.
If you are a visually impaired person who would like to try parkrun, then please do reach out to your local parkrun. Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Worthing, Hove Prom and Horsham all have guides that I am aware of; there may be more out there. There are guides available for a wide range of paces so don’t be afraid to give it a go. There is no such thing as too slow at parkrun.
If you have any questions, please do feel free to get in touch with us here at SSW. If you’d like to sign up to the Worthing 10k in June as part of the SSW team (whether as a solo runner, with a guide runner or as a guide runner), we’d love to have you join us!
The Worthing 10k takes place on Sunday 8th June. Places are £25, with complimentary places for all guide runners. All runners get a free SSW t-shirt or vest, a goody bag, and lots of support from our staff, members and volunteers!
You can sign up here. If you have any questions please email or call Myra at SSW. She is available either on myra@sswcharity.org.uk or call 01903 235782.
