Woodhouse Moor Parkrun

Woodhouse Moor Parkrun

Overview of the role

Parkrun is a free, weekly, timed 5km run taking place in parks across the UK and internationally. We are incredibly lucky to have a parkrun right on our doorstep at Woodhouse Moor Park, taking place every Saturday morning at 9am. This was one of the first parkrun’s outside of London and has been running for 13 years! Every parkrun is made possible by a team of volunteers who perform different roles week to week. You could be organising the finish funnel, operating the stopwatch, or scanning the runners’ barcodes with  your phone. Volunteering at parkrun is fun & rewarding and you’ll be helping people in Leeds to lead more active and fulfilling lives. This is a flexible opportunity and you can volunteer as and when it suits you!

Get involved

The semester 1 parkrun takeover at Woodhouse Moor parkrun is taking place on Saturday 16th November 2024 8.30am-11am. where University of Leeds staff and students can volunteer together! This is a great way for students and staff to see what parkrun is all about (without lacing up and running!) and give something back to our local community.

Our next parkrun takeover will take place take place on Saturday 16th November 2024, 8.30am-11am and you can find out how to sign up below.  Please note: You will need to register with parkrun prior to volunteering to get a barcode number.

Duties & responsibilities

parkrun volunteers conduct a variety of simple roles including the following:

• Time keeping – time keepers look after the stop watch and clock those all-important PB’s!
• Finish Tokens – These volunteers hand out tokens with positions on them as parkrunners cross the line.
• Barcode scanning – Each parkrunner has a bar code to identify who they are and a token showing their finishing position. Our bar code scanners log both of these to give each participant a finishing position!
• Marshals – Marshals guide parkrunners around the course advising them of any safety hazards and encouraging them along the way
• Tail Walker – The tail walker will always be the last person to finish at parkrun. They walk at the back of the pack to ensure every parkrunner/jogger/walker is accounted for
• And there are many more roles available…. Visit the parkrun website for more information about the variety of roles available.

Skills & experience required

None of the parkrun roles require any special knowledge or experience, just enthusiasm & energy! If you’re volunteering for the first time you will most likely to asked to marshal so you can develop an understanding of the event and how it operates. Once you’ve done that you can request a particular role or you can just do what is needed on the day – volunteers will never be asked to do anything outside of their level of experience or comfort zone. Most of all, participating & volunteering at parkrun should be fun, so relax and enjoy yourself!

Skills developed

Communication, Team Working, Leadership, Flexibility, Planning & Organisation, Independent working, Event management.

Training & support

You’ll receive on the job training on the morning of the event to ensure you know what you are doing. A member of the Leeds Sport Team will be there to meet you and introduce you to the Each event will Run Director who will be your point of contact on the day – they will be able to answer any questions you may have and will ensure the event runs smoothly.

Reward & recognition

The volunteers really are the stars of the show at parkrun:

• You’ll get a round of applause and thanks-you’s and high-fives aplenty at every parkrun event
• Your name will appear in lights every week in the ‘This Weeks volunteers’ section of the Woodhouse Moor parkrun website
• Each time you volunteer this will be logged on your parkrun profile and registered volunteers can claim milestone t-shirts at certain intervals (50, 100, 250 & 500 events), just like parkrunners!

Further information

• Applications are now OPEN for the Semester 1 Parkrun Takeover and will CLOSE on Monday 11th November 2024.
• Complete the application form below and you will then receive an email from the Sport Volunteering Officer to confirm your attendance and receive any updates in the run up to the event.
•  You can volunteer at Woodhouse Moor parkrun whenever you fancy. The event runs every weekend. Just email the team on woodhousemoor@parkrun.com to sign up!
• You’ll need to register with parkrun to both participate and volunteer. It is free! Each time you volunteer this will be logged on your parkrun profile and contribute towards your milestone t-shirt
• You can also opt in to receiving regular emails about volunteering opportunities at Woodhouse Moor parkrun and other events via your email preferences if you have a parkrun profile