Back in 2018 I would sit on my local Youth Offending Service (YOS) Referral Order panel as a Community Panel Member. My role was to come up with a restorative plan of action for young people who had committed an offence and pleaded guilty. If they completed the agreed plan they wouldn’t get a criminal record. I loved that job. And at the YOS I met Maureen Anderson, who changed my life.
In addition to working at the YOS Maureen was also one of the first Event Directors at Burgess parkrun and it was due to her constant friendly persuasion that I attended my first parkrun back on 08/12/12 which was event #12 There were 42 participants and 4 volunteers 😀
Fast forward to today and we’re at event 500 with 806 participants and 42 volunteers! The growth and contribution to the local community is difficult to quantify
I stood on the bench and completed the new runners' welcome with Sally, another regular. It’s really important for me to convey the spirit of the event and to make people feel welcomed. You can run it, walk it, hop it or skip it. Rest breaks can be taken and because we have a tail walker you can never come last. I want people to feel included and good about what they’re going to do.
I don’t sit as a Community Panel Member anymore perhaps if I did I’d be putting participation at parkrun into the referral order plans. Perhaps I’d be contacting trainer companies to give young people a pair of shoes to run in. It would be amazing for all those young people I met to feel the sense of community and possibility that our local parkrun generates. It would be great if they could feel and be part of this incredible London parkrun thing.
This needs to be added to my New Year resolutions #Nuhorizons
Happy 500 Burgess parkrun, long may you be a beacon of positivity and inclusion in this community.
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