#Opt-In!
#Opt-In! is all about keeping our community safe, managing trust and respect, and maintaining boundaries when it comes to peer-support.
Run4Rene is a truly safe space for you to talk about life and health without stigma or shame. However, opting in to the conversation is an essential prerequisite and both the sharer AND the listener need to do so before a conversation can begin.
While it’s a fair assumption that most people within the R4R community are kind and caring, we cannot always assume they are able to hold space for a conversation around mental health 24/7. We don’t always know what’s happening in people’s lives and there may be times where they feel they can’t #Opt-In! (to listen or share) and that is absolutely their right to be respected.
We’ve created some guidelines below around #Opt-in! to avoid ambiguity.
If you are ever concerned or uncomfortable, please reach out to your run leader as soon as possible for guidance.
1. Any participant attending a group run meetup or the post-run conversation (either virtually or in-person) is opting in for sharing and/or listening to others with compassion, trust and respect. If you don’t feel you're up to it one week, that’s totally cool, just skip it and join us when you can. There is no pressure or commitment required with Run4Rene Crew.
2. People on a group WhatsApp chat , Facebook group (or other communication platform) are not necessarily opting in and these are never the optimal forums for you to ask for mental health help or to access peer-support. We typically use these channels to organise events, share runs and to share resources (podcasts/inspo/books).
3. Just by being a R4R member, does not mean someone is opting-in to holding space for a mental health conversation. While it’s natural for friendships and relationships to develop, we would encourage you to avoid reaching out unsolicited to another member one-to-one for mental health support unless you are sure they are opting in to that conversation. If in doubt, ask them first.
3. If someone tells you “I am unable to hold space / share at this time”, please respect them. Don’t keep pushing for the conversation, or berate them for not being able to do so. People have different events going on in their lives, different triggers and varied emotional boundaries. If you’re struggling please reach out to your run leader for signposting to professional services or if you need emergency help always contact 999.
Run4Rene does not offer professional or clinical support with mental health. We create a space for community peer-support which is reliant upon respect, confidentiality and #Opt-In! decisions.
Thus, if anyone is found to be continuously or seriously breaching our #Op-In! guidelines, we will remove them from the community without notice for the safety of both themselves and others.
Let’s keep this a respectful, supportive space for everyone!
Terms
Our Terms
By attending any meetup and/or joining the R4R community you are accepting our terms.
“Meetups” refer to all physical and online gathering of members organised by R4R, including but not limited to the organised group runs and post-run chats, WhatsApp, Facebook group and social media channels, and any social events. Please also read our #Opt-In! guidelines for more information on conversations around mental health.
i. All Run4Rene meetups are free to participants and are run by volunteers. There are no permissions expressed or implied by the Run4Rene organisers. Participants attend meetups and make use of the facilities entirely at their own risk.
ii. Running is a physically vigorous activity that may pose risks to participants. We strongly recommend consulting with a qualified medical professional, such as a General Practitioner (GP), before engaging in any running activities, especially if you have any pre-existing medical conditions or concerns.
iii. By participating in our running group activities, you acknowledge and accept the importance of mental health considerations and agree to prioritise your well-being throughout your participation. Volunteer run leaders and participants are not trained therapists or qualified mental health workers and you should always seek advice from a health professional if you are unsure if you are mentally well enough to participate.
iv. By attending a meetup, you accept that you do so entirely at your own risk and that it is always your responsibility to ensure that you are both mentally and physically fit and able to take part in the meetups in the nature as they are intended. You take full responsibility for the safety of yourself and your belongings.
v. Our run leaders reserve the right to deny participation in our running events if they believe an individual's is not physically or mentally well enough to participate in the meetup in the nature it is intended.
vi. Children and youths under the age of 16 years old are the responsibility of their parents or guardians and need to be accompanied at all times before, during and after the meetup.
vii. By attending our meetups you accept that you are happy for Run4Rene to take photographs of you and others for use on social media platforms and the website - run4rene.com.
viii. Run4Rene and its volunteers do not accept responsibility for injury, loss and damage (physical, emotional, mental) sustained by a participant on a meetup. It is always the responsibility of all participants to ensure they look after themselves and their belongings during the meetups.
ix. Run4Rene and its volunteers do not tolerate abuse of any kind, both verbal and physical, by any participants within the group either during the meetup or via digital communication channels (including but not exclusively limited to Facebook Groups, Whatsapp, SMS, Instagram, telephone call) .
x. Anybody abusing volunteers or Run4Rene participants will be asked to leave the meetup, or any digital group channels aforementioned and banned from further meetups. In severe cases of abuse, individuals may be reported to the police.
x.i Run4Rene is an inclusive community available to people of any gender, sexual orientation, race and age. Our priority is respect for all people and we do not tolerate any forms of verbal, written, physical discrimination from run leaders or participants. Anyone violating this will be removed from the group, without further notice.
xi. Run4Rene should be a safe and non-judgmental space. Confidentiality and respect are the pillars which prop our community up and underpin everything we do. If anyone is breaking confidentiality, abusing group trust or posing a risk to the safe space of the group, they will be removed from the group without further notice. Please read above our on health requirements and our #Opt-In! guidelines for more information on respectful peer-support.
Complaints If you have any complaint to report, please email us at run4renegroup@gmail.com