WOMEN in Salisbury are celebrating after the founder of a fast-growing running and walking community was awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours.

Mel Bound, founder of This Woman Runs, has been recognised for services to women’s community sport after turning a simple search for a running buddy into a nationwide movement helping thousands of women get active.

What started in Bristol in 2014 with a Facebook post has grown into a network spanning more than 35 cities, including Salisbury, where women meet every Sunday morning for free 30-minute walks and runs designed to be welcoming, pressure-free and accessible.

The Salisbury group now supports more than 70 women with sessions led by volunteer ‘Run Angels’ and centred on friendship, confidence and community rather than speed or competition.

Georgina Nash, one of the volunteers helping to lead the Salisbury group, said the community had become about far more than exercise.

“The growth has been nothing short of incredible,” she said. “What started with two lovely ladies turning up for our very first meet-up, has quickly become something far bigger than running.

“Every Sunday morning, women from all walks of life meet beneath the cathedral spire, ready to walk, run, chat and support one another.

“We’ve become a community that cheers the loudest for the person at the back, celebrates every win, big or small, and proves that when women come together with kindness, friendship and encouragement, amazing things happen.

“What I’ve loved most is watching women arrive feeling nervous and then realise they were never the only one.”

The impact appears to stretch well beyond fitness, as according to member surveys, 94% of participants reported a positive impact on their physical health, 96% on their mental health and 98% said they would return.

Reacting to the honour, Mel said: “When the letter arrived, I cried. This honour is for all of them, and for everyone working at the coalface of grassroots sport.

“Women don’t simply need to be told to exercise more. They need spaces where they feel safe, welcome, understood and able to begin. That’s what This Woman Runs exists to create.”

For more information about TWR Salisbury and how to get involved, visit www.thiswomanruns.com/find-your-local-twr-community