LOCAL, an independent corner shop and coffee house in Jesmond, has created a running club called ‘LOCAL Runner Beans’ for the residents of Jesmond and the surrounding areas. 

The running club meets every Sunday at 8:30am outside LOCAL Coffee Shop on Acorn Road for a run starting at 8:45am. Every week the group tackles a three to seven kilometre run around a variety of routes in and around Jesmond. 

LOCAL Runner Beans is open to anyone as it is advertised for “keeno runners, social runners, babies in prams, dogs, injured people on bikes, you name it – everyone welcome”. To join the running group there is a WhatsApp group advertised on LOCAL’s social media pages that prospective runners can join for information. 

LOCAL Run Club (Image credit: LOCAL and @robertstevenstudios)

Kim Bridgeman, a member of the running club, told JesmondLocal: “Run club is such a welcoming environment and a fun way of meeting new people. It’s really inclusive and caters for all abilities.”  

She added: “I’d really recommend trying it out, especially if you’re new to the area and want to integrate yourself within the local community. Everyone is lovely and up for a chat always”. 

The club was created in October 2023 and is expected to keep on growing into the new year as it expands each week.  

The club was made to bring together the Jesmond community with healthy exercise and socialising at the shop over a cup of coffee. LOCAL coffee shop is touts itself to the Jesmond community as an independent business “by locals for locals”. 

A Group Photo of LOCAL Run Club (Image credit: LOCAL and @robertstevenstudios)

Kate Thompson, one of the owners of LOCAL, told JesmondLocal: “The LOCAL run club on a Sunday gives us an opportunity to engage with our customers on a more social basis rather than just over an exchange for a flat white and ‘How are you?’”. 

The creation of the club was down to all members at the coffee house, from the owners to the baristas, all were involved. Staff members regularly participate in the club. Currently there are 209 members in their WhatsApp group with a turn out of 30-45 people each Sunday.

Thompson added: “The team at LOCAL are all interested in health and wellbeing in some way, so starting up some kind of fitness-based gathering made sense. So Runner Beans running club was born. The whole team has been part of bringing it to life, whether that’s planning routes, physically running it every week, providing the post-run caffeine or taking photos. You name it, all of the guys have been involved.”