What’s the problem?
We are in a climate emergency – we cannot run away from that.
In recent years, we have seen a rapid increase in global temperatures, species becoming extinct, habitat loss, and communities displaced.
Runners are part of the solution
We know running is contributing to climate breakdown – but it can also be part of the solution. We were founded in 2022 to support runners make sustainable lifestyle choices and challenge the industry and events to safeguard our planet’s future.
Since then we’ve supported more than 2,000 runners to make changes for a fitter planet and campaigned for greener practices from brands and races, but there is so much more we can achieve and huge potential.
What are we fundraising for?
Until now, we have been volunteer-run, supporting individuals to make big changes in how they live and run.
We are at the start of something truly groundbreaking. There are millions of runners out there wanting to make a difference for the future of our environment, and we want to help them.
By supporting us to raise £50,000, you will be helping us to massively expand our work. The funds will help us recruit several staff members to boost our support for individuals to create a community of empowered runners. We will also work to collaborate with brands, races and clubs to create systemic change in our sport.
Support us today. This is a race we cannot afford to lose.
FAQ
Why runners?
As runners, we love to explore our natural world and feel the benefits of clean air and increased wellbeing. These are things we are losing in our cities with increased exhaust fumes, and on the trails due to habitat loss and reduced biodiversity.
According to research by the Running Channel and Sporting Insights, 98% of runners want to make sustainable changes in how they live. However, just 51% have actually made a change. There is so much opportunity.
Why The Green Runners?
We were founded in 2022 by a group of runners including Jasmin Paris, Dan Lawson and Damian Hall to support runners on their journey to more sustainable running. Since then, we have grown to over 2,000 members. We were established as a non-profit Community Interest Company in 2023. Find out more about our achievements here.
We conducted a survey of our members and discovered 81% of them had made positive changes in their lives since joining us. Our community is founded on creating a positive environment for change, with our members supporting one another in addition to the content and resources we produce for them.
We have also run campaigns to call time on fossil-fuel sponsorships in our sport. We garnered well over 2,000 signatures to our petition to the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) calling for them to drop car manufacturer Dacia as a sponsor. Thanks to this, and pressure from elite athletes sympathetic with our cause, Dacia was dropped as a headline sponsor.
This is just a taste of what can be done. We have identified more than 30 running events and teams with high-carbon sponsors, and we want to support races to change that.
What will you do with the money?
This investment would revolutionise our work. We have been entirely volunteer-run until now, with some help from freelance contractors, and we have already achieved so much.
Our plan is to use the £50,000 to fund several roles over the next two years. We see these roles being a Membership Manager, a Communications Manager, a Projects and Partnerships Manager, and a Financial Administrator.
These roles would be to 1) Create a sustainable income stream, allowing us to remain independent and secure our future as an organisation; 2) Grow our audience to create a strong community of informed runners who can support one another and elevate our voice; 3) Expand our resources for individuals, clubs and race organisers; 4) Develop projects and partnerships that helps us to collaborate with groups, clubs, races and brands.
What if you don’t raise the total amount of money?
The £50,000 target is what we have projected our activities will cost over the next two years. If we do not reach our goal, our first priority will be to create a sustainable income stream and continue to support individual runners.
What are some of the projects you have in the pipeline?
Asides from growing our income streams and awareness, we have several key projects that would massively benefit from this crowdfunding campaign. Firstly, we are currently piloting a Local Groups scheme to allow our members to connect with one another and create a wider sphere of influence beyond our own. This project will be greatly expanded by the resource we would bring in via this crowdfunding campaign.
Secondly, we have partnered with England Athletics on a pilot scheme to support clubs to be more sustainable. This has been hugely successful and we’d love to expand the scheme to assist even more clubs and create a Club Membership part of our website. Finally, we are reviewing plans for a green races initiative. This would see us provide guidance for events wanting to run more sustainably.
