Sunday 30th November 2025
Festive fun, community spirit, and raising vital funds for local mental health services.
Mental Elf is a festive fun run for everyone – whether you’re a seasoned runner, a gentle jogger, or prefer a stroll in the park. You can walk, jog, skip, or run the distance at your own pace. Bring along your little ones or four-legged friends and don’t forget – fancy dress is positively encouraged!
First created by our friends at Lancashire Mind more than a decade ago, Mental Elf has now grown into a much-loved annual event. Each November and December, communities across England and Wales come together to celebrate, get active, and raise vital funds for their local Mind.
As well as promoting the benefits of physical activity, Mental Elf is about connection, joy, and the warm glow of giving back. Best of all, all the money raised through ticket sales, sponsorship, and fundraising stays local – supporting the unique services that each Mind provides in its community.
Event Details
Location: GWR Park, Faringdon Rd, Swindon, SN1 5DJ
Date: Sunday 30th November 2025
Start time: Race starts at 12:00 and warm up at 11:00, with the registration desk open from 10:00.
This is a 5km fun run (walk, jog, run – all welcome). Festive Elf fancy dress strongly encouraged with a prize for best dressed elf!
Special Thanks to Our Partner: National Trust
We’re delighted to announce that, through our partnership with the National Trust, we’ve been gifted free family passes to support Mental Elf 2025. These will be given to:
- every volunteer, and
- every participant.
It’s our way of saying thank you for helping make Mental Elf such a special event – and for supporting your local mental health charity.
National Trust Free Access Pass – Terms & Conditions
1. Your National Trust day pass can be used once. Please use it before the end of Friday 27th March 2026. You cannot use your pass on holidays bank holidays or bank holiday weekends, including 25th & 26th December 2025 and 1st January 2026.
2. With your pass, you receive free admission at participating National Trust places for up to two adults and up to six children. Adults visiting without any accompanying children are welcome to use the pass. Adults are those aged 18 or over. Children are those aged five to 17 inclusive. Under-fives visit free and can be additional to the number of visitors specified above.
3. You’ll find a full list of participating National Trust places, opening times and any pre-booking requirements at nationaltrust.org.uk/using-your-pass Your pass can only be used at places that are listed as not all places can accept passes. Places managed by English Heritage (including Stonehenge and Housesteads Fort), National Trust for Scotland and other organisations are also exempt from admission promotions.
4. Your pass covers standard admission, but doesn’t include parking, non-standard admission, paid transport and paid events, unless these are free within standard admission. Passes cannot be used for group admission.
5. Pre-booking: you need to book ahead at some National Trust places before visiting. At these places, we can’t guarantee you’ll be able to come in without booking first.
a. Please check nationaltrust.org.uk/using-your-pass then the place you wish to visit to check if booking is required.
b. If booking is required, click ‘Book a Visit’ on the place’s webpage.
c. Select ‘Affiliate organisation member or passholder’ tickets for the relevant number of visitors covered by the pass.
d. Complete the transaction and you will receive a confirmation email. If you only select the free tickets, you will not need to enter your debit/credit card details and you will not be charged.
e. Present both your booking confirmation and the pass to the National Trust team member on arrival. Where booking is required, free entry cannot be guaranteed without both a booking confirmation and the pass.
6. To use your pass, simply present it to a team member at your chosen National Trust place. Mobile coverage may be limited at the National Trust place you choose to visit, so please download to your device, or print the pass.
7. Your pass is valid at participating National Trust places within advertised opening hours. Opening hours may be subject to change at any time.
8. Your pass is not for resale, is non-transferable, cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or against National Trust membership, and has no cash value/alternative.
9. Only one pass per household will be permitted.
10. If the holder of the pass is a National Trust member, the pass may be used by a person(s) accompanying them. The member must be present for the offer to be used in this way.
11. The pass may be used by residents of England, Wales and NI.
12. The National Trust reserves the right to refuse or revoke the pass at any time.
13. Personal data supplied during this promotion will only be processed as set out in the National Trust’s privacy policy: nationaltrust.org.uk/our-policies/privacy
The National Trust (Heelis, Kemble Drive, Swindon SN2 2NA) is a registered charity (number 205846).
Mental Elf – Terms and Conditions
Entry & Registration
- There is no minimum age for participants.
- Participants under the age of 14 must be accompanied at the event by their parent or legal guardian or by an over 18 year old who has the permission of that participant’s parent or legal guardian.
- Participants are only eligible to take part in the event if they have paid the entry fee.
- Entry fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, except where the event is cancelled by the organiser.
Health & Fitness
- By entering, I confirm that I am physically fit and able to take part in the event.
- I understand that it is my responsibility to seek medical advice if I am unsure about my ability to participate.
- Swindon and Gloucestershire Mind is not responsible for any injury, illness, loss, or damage sustained during or as a result of participation.
Event Safety
- Appropriate footwear and clothing must be worn.
- The use of bicycles, roller skates, scooters, or pets on the route is not permitted (unless otherwise stated in advance).
- We reserve the right to refuse entry to the event in our absolute discretion if for whatever reason we consider a person unfit to take part. We may also ask you to withdraw during the event if we have concerns about your ability to complete it due to fitness, injury or otherwise. If you continue, you do so with the understanding that you absolve us of all and any responsibility and progress entirely at your own risk.
- We take all reasonable steps to minimise the risk of injury to participants during fundraising events.There is a risk assessment process in place for the Event, which aims to minimise or eliminate the risk to everyone taking part. However, by taking part in the event, you acknowledge that it is potentially hazardous and that there may be conditions or circumstances beyond our control that can lead to unforeseen risks.
- All participants, volunteers and spectators enter and attend the event entirely at their own risk.
- All participants must run with care and attention and abide by the UK Highway Code and any other rules stipulated by the event organiser, Event marshals, police and officials.
- First aid facilities will be provided. Any major incidents should be reported to 999.
- By taking part in the event, you consent to receiving medical treatment administered by medically qualified personnel during the event if required in any circumstances where you are unconscious or otherwise incapable of making a decision regarding medical treatment.
- As the event is taking place in late November, we will be taking the weather conditions very seriously and in the case of severe ice and snow, we will ensure the route is safe before going ahead. In the event that the route is not safe, we reserve the right to postpone/cancel the event for participant safety. See section ‘Postponement and Cancellation’ for further details.
Photography & Media
- By taking part, participants, volunteers and spectators agree that they are happy for their names and any video footage, stills or photographs taken of them during the Event by the Volunteers or Swindon and Gloucestershire Mind (or by their service providers or
agents) to be used by the Volunteers and Swindon and Gloucestershire Mind to publicise the Event and for commercial and/or fundraising purposes including, but not limited to, television broadcasts, advertising, publications, marketing material, merchandise, social media, personalised direct mail, social media and other documents that may be made available to the public.
- If you do not wish to be photographed, please notify a member of staff on the day.
Liability
- The Volunteers and Swindon and Gloucestershire Mind shall not be liable for any injury or loss to persons
or their property that might occur as a result of their participation in or attendance at the event.
Conduct & Respect
- This is a family-friendly event; participants are expected to act respectfully towards others at all times.
- Any participant who is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs will be refused
entry and will not be allowed to participate in the event.
Postponement & Cancellation
- The organiser reserves the right to cancel, postpone, or alter the event if circumstances beyond our control make it necessary (e.g., severe weather).
- In such cases, Swindon and Gloucestershire Mind will notify participants as soon as possible.
You can download the PDF version here.
