Yesterday, the Advertiser was lucky to be invited to cover the movement of Sam’s Warr;ors, a local running group in Horwich whose goal is to help improve people’s mental health with exercise. Anyone is invited to join the group, sessions take place twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays where you can get to know new people whilst keeping fit and healthy. The group is now based at the newly built sports hut on St Mary’s JFC playing fields, just left of Scholes Bank in Horwich.
Mayor Peter Wright, who regularly attends sessions with Sam’s Warr;ors, also came along to meet and speak to members of the group.
Sam Ormrod, who came up with the idea back in September 2018, says:
“From the age of 12, I suffered with mental health problems such as OCD, chronic anxiety, paranoid psychosis and PTSD when I got older”.
“This went on for most of my life and I still have to work hard to this day to keep well”.
“For 3 years, I engaged in therapy with Survivors Manchester to help with the abuse I went through as I child. Around that time, exercise made its way into my life and with therapy; it changed my life forever”.
“I first set up Improve Mental Health with Running Group in September last year with 4 people attending, we are now Sam's Warr;ors with 30+ people attending twice a week”.
Sam’s Warr;ors are now linked with some great charities and organisations including:
Survivors Manchester
Counsellingkind, which is a person-centred wellbeing service based in Horwich, offering counselling, coaching and wellbeing events.
Headspace Bolton, who use creativity to change the narrative of mental illness
Life support, a peer support talking group
Sam’s Warr;ors hope to become a charity themselves in the next few months, being able to expand and help a variety of people with a range of therapy.
If you would like to get in contact with Sam about the group, you can message their Facebook page or send an email to sam'swarriors@gmx.co.uk
It’s great to see such a successful group that benefits a variety of people in and around Horwich!
Pictured:
1- Sam Ormrod (left) stood with Mayor Peter Wright (centre) and Danny Barry, Chairman of St Mary's JFC (right)
2- Sam Ormrod (left) stood with Mayor Peter Wright (centre) and Sam's wife (right)
3- Sam's Warr;ors group members
4- St Mary's JFC Sports Hut