Runners world website has several good articles about training for races Lesley, but they're equally good at just taking a beginner and upping the distances you can do.
My OH did the couch to 5k programme a few months ago and found it really easy. You have a treadmill somewhere in your garden shed, don't you? It's little and often with it.
I never really followed any programme, just went from really fast walking to the stage where it was actually easier to break into a trot, tiny bursts at first, but you get better amazingly quickly.
I've never regained the speed I would have had a few years ago - I blame a different metabolism on Atkins, but let's face it, it's probably my rapidly advancing years!