Poolsbrook parkrun started in April 2016 and since then, 1,278 different people have volunteered, carrying out 9,285 different volunteer roles. Staveley junior parkrun started in January 2018 and has seen 408 different people volunteer in 4,188 roles. Joining the parkrun family in May 2024, Holmebrook Valley juniors recently celebrated it’s one year anniversary having seen 117 volunteers in over 930 roles!
These local volunteers have supported a combined total of 16,742 people to be physically active, outdoors, together on 765 occasions, which has major health and economic impacts for the community.
parkrun is a UK-based global health and wellbeing charity, and events are free and open to anyone. At Poolsbrook, people of all ages can walk or run the 5k 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.
The shorter 2k junior parkrun events are limited to children aged between 4 and 14 but again, participants are encouraged to walk, skip or run, on their own or with their parents. There are plenty of opportunities to support these events as volunteers.
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.
Mark Hazlehurst, volunteer run director at Poolsbrook and Staveley 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 5k or 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!”
The Chesterfield based parkruns are three of over 800 5k parkruns and 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 the Poolsbrook, Staveley and Holmebrook Valley parkrun communities. 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 you are interested in at Poolsbrook@parkrun.com, Staveleyjuniors@parkrun.com or HolmebrookValleyjuniors@parkrun.com, message them through their Facebook pages or simply turn up at Poolsbrook Country Park on a Saturday or Staveley Welfare Cricket Club or Holmebrook Valley Park on a Sunday morning. All events start at 9am