The London Marathon Foundation is committing up to £500,000 over the next four years to fuel the creation of Sanctuary Runners GB across the UK – a charity using sport and physical activity to bring together newcomers to the UK and local communities.
Sanctuary Runners GB organise free, weekly, inclusive groups for people to run, jog and walk together. The funding will support 32 new groups to be launched across the UK, including in Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool, London and Newcastle. The new groups will support thousands of people to be active together and connect newcomers to the UK with their new home communities.
Stark inequalities in physical activity persist, with people from ethnically diverse communities less likely to be active than the national average (Sport England’s Active Lives Adults Survey, 2025). At the same time, many newcomers to the UK face barriers to participation and opportunities to integrate with their local communities. The new partnership will help address these challenges by using physical activity to bring people together, improve wellbeing and strengthen community connections.
This pioneering partnership is the first major investment in Sanctuary Runners GB since it was established in 2025 and will allow the charity to create its UK footprint.
Mike Diaper, Group Funding and Impact Director at the London Marathon Foundation, said:
"We are proud to be the first funder of Sanctuary Runners GB and to support its creation in the UK. We share a belief that sport and physical activity play a powerful role in bringing people together, improving wellbeing and helping people feel connected to the communities they live in.
“Everyone should have access to safe and welcoming spaces where they can be active, and by supporting Sanctuary Runners GB to expand across the UK, we hope many more newcomers and local communities can get active together, make meaningful connections and build a sense of belonging."
The launch of Sanctuary Runners GB follows the success of Sanctuary Runners Ireland which has engaged more than 35,000 participants in physical activity since 2018, and has been widely recognised for its contributions to refugee inclusion and community cohesion.
Graham Clifford, Founder and Head of Operations at Sanctuary Runners GB, said:
"Sanctuary Runners has proven itself to be an incredible vehicle by which to bring people together in solidarity, friendship and respect regardless of one's background. With the support of the London Marathon Foundation, we aim to bring our model to every corner of the UK, to create a movement of positivity, kindness, inclusion and decency through running and walking together.
We will build a team to enable and empower local communities to be part of our movement and to help people who might often feel isolated, forgotten about and misjudged to step out of the shadows. We will build a movement in every sense of the word and, in times of social division, these kinds of initiatives are needed now more than ever. We are so grateful to all at the London Marathon Foundation for seeing that, for putting their trust in us and for supporting us to support communities."
The first UK group set up by Sanctuary Runners GB launched in Brighton last year.
Ismail Ahmed Adam, a member of the Brighton Sanctuary Runners group, said:
"When you are in a new country, trying to learn a new language, trying to connect with new people can be very difficult – but through the Sanctuary Runners I have discovered a new family. I feel seen, heard and respected. Sanctuary Runners became my bridge to my community – and it’s so exciting to think so many others will get to experience that too."
