Desborough Green Space Junior parkrun celebrates its 500th volunteer since 2019
National Volunteer Week is the UK’s largest annual celebration of volunteering, taking place from Monday 2 to Sunday 8 June.
Desborough Green Space Junior parkrun, which takes place every Sunday at 9.00am at Desborough Leisure and has been a volunteering success story since it launched on the 21st April 2019. During that time, 502 different people have volunteered at Desborough Green Space Junior parkrun, carrying out a combined total of 6040 different volunteer roles.
parkrun is a UK-based global health and wellbeing charity, and events are free and open to anyone. People can walk or run the 2k course, support their community as volunteers, or simply spectate and socialise. parkrunners can push a pram, bring their dog on a short lead or take part with their family. There is no time limit and nobody finishes last, thanks to volunteer ‘tail walkers’ who provide support and encouragement on the course.
Every volunteer’s contribution matters and is recognised through parkrun volunteer milestones. These milestones celebrate the act of showing up and helping the community, whether it’s 25 times or 1,000 times.
Matthew Peleszok, volunteer event director at Desborough Green Space Junior parkrun, said everyone in the community is invited to give parkrun volunteering a try.
“parkrun is all about having fun in a relaxed and welcoming environment. All the volunteer roles are super simple and there are a wide variety of opportunities, from welcoming first timers to marshaling on the course to handing out finish tokens as people finish the 2k.
“We even have volunteers during the week, for example who coordinate our volunteer roster and post on our social media channels. Our volunteer roster is never full and there is a role to suit everyone!”
Desborough Green Space Junior parkrun is one of over 450 junior parkruns across the UK, with more than 580,000 different people volunteering at the free weekly UK events since the first parkrun in 2004.
parkrun Founder, Paul Sinton-Hewitt said: “Our volunteers give so much to parkrun and to Desborough Green Space Junior parkrun. Along with our partners, funders, landowners, and those who are able to donate, they help to keep parkrun free, for everyone, forever. Thank you to each and every volunteer.”
parkrun registration is free at www.parkrun.org.uk/register
Use your ordinary skills to help create extraordinary parkruns! If you are interested in volunteering you can email the event at [email protected], message them through the event Facebook page, or simply come along on a Sunday morning.