For over a decade, a tech intervention benefiting UK health infrastructure has been running silently in the background, powered by aql.
Today, cloud communications provider aql and global health charity parkrun are celebrating the successful completion of a landmark 13-year digital partnership. Over the course of this long collaboration, aql has provided free SMS infrastructure to deliver millions of weekly text alerts to parkrunners across the country which equates to donating an estimated £1 million in messaging services (or 27,122,230 texts!).
The alliance, originally forged between friends, aql Founder and CEO Prof Adam Beaumont DL and parkrun Founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt CBE, concludes amicably as parkrun transitions its digital notifications into an app-first environment.
Whilst individual parkrun events are completely free to attend, running the back-end communication infrastructure for millions of participants across the UK requires immense resources. By absorbing £1 million in messaging costs, aql insulated parkrun from operational expenses that would have otherwise climbed closer to £2 million.
That technical investment yielded a massive dividend for public health. According to research that has been evaluated by the Royal College of General Practitioners and published in the British Journal of General Practice, the economic frameworks from Sport England and Sheffield Hallam University show that every £1 spent staging parkrun events returns roughly £10 in healthcare benefits. These preventative healthcare returns are broadly distributed across three critical NHS areas:
By keeping parkrun's SMS communications seamless and cost-free, aql’s sustained support has unlocked an estimated £10 million in targeted NHS savings over the lifetime of the partnership.
The conclusion of the SMS service marks a true "mission accomplished" moment. By providing a steady technological foundation during parkrun’s crucial scale-up phase, aql has successfully helped prepare the organization for its next digital chapter.
"When Paul and I first discussed how aql could support parkrun, we shared a vision of technology being the 'digital glue' to empower healthier communities," says Professor Adam Beaumont, Founder and CEO of aql.
"Seeing that our £1 million in tech support has translated into £10 million of tangible savings for the NHS is incredibly fulfilling. It’s been a privilege to help scale parkrun into a cultural phenomenon, and I remain immensely proud of what our teams have achieved."
Paul Sinton-Hewitt CBE, Founder of parkrun, added: “The longstanding and unwavering support by Adam and his team at aql has helped make parkrun more enjoyable, with many runners looking forward to their 'personal best' message. aql’s generosity has grown with the parkrun community, which continues as a global movement.”
As parkrun moves into its next app-led phase, aql is proud to have been the engine behind those millions of "Personal Best" notifications, community connections, and a healthier nation.
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