“Part of who I am!” – what can charities learn from parkrun?
I've been writing this charity blog for a few years now, and there's a passion of mine I haven't yet mentioned. Can you believe it?
Today, I want to tell you about the phenomenon that is parkrun, and what I believe charities can learn from it.
At 9am every Saturday, in parks up and down the country and round the world, people young and old, fast and slow, gather together to run 5km around a park. It's fun and it's free, and each run is staffed by a team of dedicated volunteers, be they marshals, timekeepers, or barcode scanners.
But I want to tell you about my parkrun, in St Albans. Everything you need to know is in this picture. Every Saturday, 400 or more parkrunners run through my local park below St Albans Abbey, round the lake, past ancient Roman ruins, and alongside the river that you can see here.
Beautiful, isn't it?
Look again. In the foreground, you can see the father, proudly running with his son. And - look - a little further back, you can see the club runner in the red vest, checking his progress on his stopwatch. And then on the right, you can see three walkers. Everyone goes at their own speed. Participating is everything.
But what do I think charities in particular can learn from parkrun? Read on. I'll tell you.
It's all about the individual
What parkrun does so well is appreciate that everyone who participates has their own personal goals, whether it's�
9 Comments
Leave a Reply
Hi Richard,
Thanks so much for your kind words.
Proud to have you in the family!
Tom
You have excelled yourself again. Simple message but so very true!
Western Province Blood Transfusion Service in SA has got it right. They need people to donate blood, and every so other depending on how many times you donate you receive a gift. You feel recognised for the contribution every time you donate.
I am also the Event Director at Fish Hoek parkrun and we make a very big deal about recognising and thanking the volunteers, and in doing so it’s not difficult to fill the.volunteer positions each week.
Excellent article, both about parkrun and volunteering and community in general. We all feel that urge to be part of something a little bigger than us and parkrun ticks that box more completely than just about any other activity I can think of. From an Aussie Event Director and proud “Aubergine” shirt-wearer. 🙂
You make a good point. Def something to think about.
What a inspirational read! This is something I’m super passionate about… Why don’t organisations do more to reward their volunteers? It sounds like we really need to start thanking them properly – especially because their knowledge, skills and passion is so valuable- you not to mention the money they save us!
I wonder which organisation looks after their volunteevrs best?
-Laura
Thank you all! Delighted that this post seems to have struck a chord.
Great read Richard – it tool me a year before I blogged about parkrun!
https://enterpriseessentials.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/the-numbers-game/
Thanks, Chris. Your blog is an interestingly different angle on the parkrun phenomenon – really enjoyed it too.