Nantwich's Dabbers Dash is in the running for another Community Project of the Year (North West Region) award, 12 months after taking home the crown.

Dabbers Dash was founded by Paul McIntyre in February 2022, as a virtual Parkrun opportunity, with the aim of showing Cheshire East Council Barony Park in Nantwich needs a perimeter path to encourage people in the area to take up running/walking/wheeling in a safe place,

It also aimed at showing the need to provide a traffic-free environment for people to learn to cycle and boost active travel.

Dabbers Dash was founded by Paul McIntyre in February 2022, as a virtual Parkrun opportunity (Jonathan White).

Last year the Dabbers Dash won England Athletics' 'Community Project of the Year (North West Region)' award.

In 2024, they have been nominated for the same award.

Paul told Nub News: "Dabbers Dash Community Project is a monthly, free, five kilometre run, walk or wheel, led in Nantwich by me around the local Barony Park to lobby the Cheshire East council to complete a perimeter path to provide the local residents with a traffic-free place to run, walk, wheel or cycle to boost health and active travel. 

"It's attended by between 25 to 55 people each month from multiple running, cycling and triathlon clubs as well as residents and raises awareness of various patient support groups, charities and organisations which do not have the platforms and budgets of the larger national charities. 

"It signposts participants and citizens to points of local help and support thus reducing the burden on local services in a time when budgets are constrained, and times are tough for people. 

"The Dash won this award last year, so I have used this to develop the run to help even more people and encourage more people either into running, exercise or to build upon their running ability.

"The community run which I lead has been shortlisted by England Athletics for North West Region Community Project of the Year for the second year running after it won last year's award.

An aerial view of Barony Park in Nantwicb (Jonathan White).

"Winning is decided by voting on the following link, so if you can support then this would be helpful, even though we are against a Manchester club who are giants in comparison."

"This project is outstanding because the run has developed a life of its own as a community asset and a gateway into running or at least some exercise for lots of people.

"It is also improving people's lives in lots of ways. I've had cancer patients join and personally thank me, stroke patients come and do 400 meters that they may not have done otherwise, helped people get help with the loss of babies, including men who often get overlooked in such circumstances, they hug me and thank me for putting this on as well. 

"The run has got the local ethnic communities involved in a small local farming town which does not have that much diversity in the local population compared to some of the surrounding bigger cities.

"The run gets local media attention now, people film it with drones, people sing at it and it runs because the people in the town want it to. It costs me nothing to do and runs off a free Facebook Group of over 650 people so has zero overheads."

You can vote for the Dabbers Dash HERE. Voting closes on Sunday 11 August.

Paul McIntyre is lobbying to Cheshire East council to complete a perimeter path to provide the local residents with a traffic-free place to run, walk, wheel or cycle to boost health and active travel (Jonathan White).

Organisations supported by Dabbers Dash (May 2023 to April 2024):

• May – Multiple Sclerosis South Cheshire Support Group
• Jun – Pride Run the first and only one in the town, but the run is now on the Pride flyer for this summer
• Jul – Motherwell Cheshire Local Menopause and other Support services for women
• Aug – Young Women's Self-esteem awareness
• Sep – Chance Changing Lives finisher tops amnesty for the homeless in Crewe
• Oct – Cheshire Ribbon Run for Baby Loss Awareness - featured on Sands national map
• Nov – Mentell men's suicide prevention for Movemeber
• Dec – Santa Dash Food donation for Chance Changing Lives
• Jan – 5Y Your Way - Cancer charity and Dry Jan supported by Erdinger AF beer samples
• Feb – Pawprints to Freedom Dogs home – helped rehome 6 dogs, filled a kennel with dog food
• Mar – Alpha Omega Womens (WPS) Foundation. Ethnic women's charity
• Apr – Provided a place for a 13-year-old singer to perform and she landed her first stage performance for Nantwich Food Festival

For further information relating to the Dabbers Dash, which is free for anyone to join in, please visit HERE.

The next Dabber's Dash takes place at 9am on Saturday 17 August, opposite the Cornthwaite Group (John Deere) dealership.

READ MORE: Upcoming indie band to perform at Nantwich venue this September.

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