Running Industry Alliance announces Collaborative Partnership with Personal Best Foundation
Inspiring partnership for the benefit of children and young people
A collaborative partnership has been confirmed between Running Industry Alliance (RIA) and Personal Best Foundation.
Personal Best Foundation is an independent registered charity affiliated to, and supported by England Athletics with a mission to identify and understand the challenges facing children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and to work collaboratively and creatively to remove barriers, increase participation and reduce inequalities.
With 55% of children and young people not getting the physical activity they need each day and 1 in 6 likely to experience a mental health problem the Personal Best Foundation supports disadvantaged children and young people achieve their personal best on the track, at school and in life, changing young people’s lives through Athletics.
Running Industry Alliance will be working closely with and supporting the Personal Best Foundation and extends the opportunity to attend the launch event of the charity on 18th November to RIA Members with a limited number of seats available. The collaborative partnership with RIA will be announced officially at the prestigious gala dinner, and RIA Members will receive more information about this directly.
The wide-ranging partnership will involve a number of initiatives including mentoring, employment opportunities, fundraising and cause related marketing with further announcements later in the year.
England Athletics has joined RIA as Alliance Partner with a focus on developing collaborations with RIA members with its network of running clubs, elite athletes, coaches, officials and social running groups. RunTogether and funetics, England Athletics’ social running and primary school athletics programmes, are also joining as RIA Members.
RIA Co-Lead Rebecca Richardson said: “We are excited to unveil this purposeful collaborative partnership with Personal Best Foundation. The partnership gives RIA Members the opportunity to support disadvantaged young people’s athletics journey through the business of running. This is a key area that has been raised by RIA Members and that RIA is keen to resolve and support, helping to break down some of the existing barriers to entry together and aiming to reduce inequalities that have sadly been widening.”
Mark Lawrie, Chair of Personal Best Foundation said: “We are very pleased that RIA is supporting the launch of Personal Best Foundation and shares our goal of engaging disadvantaged young people in athletics through opportunities in the running industry. We look forward to working with RIA and RIA members to develop this exciting partnership.”
Running Industry Alliance (RIA) is an independent National Trade Organisation built for the UK & Ireland Running Industry with the aim to collectively help its Members to drive the Running Industry forward to improve the Sport and Business of Running.
The RIA Members-only The Running Conference takes place at Loughborough University from 11th to 13th December 2022 with attendees from the running industry’s different sectors including brands, retailers, distributors, events, media, communities, charities, NGB, service providers, and more.
England Athletics and the Personal Best Foundation will be attending The Running Conference, with Foundation Manager Amy Weaver-Tyler joining the Women in Sport Panel for a purposeful discussion about women and the future in the running industry.
RIA membership applications are open throughout the year, and anyone wanting to be at The Running Conference 2022 #TRC22 should complete the application form or contact membership@runningindustryalliance.com to join RIA as soon as possible.
Further details about the Running Industry Alliance, membership, members and all other info can be found on this website and the LinkedIn company page.