Plea for volunteers to help launch parkrun in Tamworth
A new parkrun project is calling for more volunteers to help get the popular national event off the starting line in Tamworth Castle Grounds this summer.
Tamworth Borough Council is looking to set up a brand new parkrun in Tamworth for 2022, and is appealing for help from volunteers to turn those ambitions into reality by assisting in running the local event.
The volunteer roles available vary from the high-profile tasks at the event including marshalling, timing and result recording, and all the behind-the-scenes roles too.
Local people who are interested in starting up the 5k parkrun in the Castle Grounds are invited to join the project, which is being developed by the council’s Sports Development Team.
If you would like to get involved with a working group of individuals, get in touch by contacting Andrew.Lucus@parkrun.com
The free 5km run would take place every Saturday morning from 9am in the Castle Grounds, following a route along the tarmac paths. It would be aimed at all ages and anyone who wants to become more physically active.
Cllr Robert Pritchard, Deputy Leader of Tamworth Borough Council, said: “Parkruns have become incredibly popular in recent years and Tamworth’s picturesque Castle Grounds lends itself perfectly to an event like this; with its beautiful setting, well laid out paths and central location. It will also help bring people together for a regular fitness activity, and encourage more people into the town centre, which is a big focus for us at the moment.
"Introducing a parkrun was something that came up during our Tamworth What’s Next consultation in 2020, but plans have been delayed due to the pandemic. It’s a great idea which we are now hoping to take forward. However, it will be a big undertaking and we are looking to join up with local running groups and volunteers to get this off the ground.
“Unfortunately without that take-up from the community, it’s unlikely that this would go ahead. Organising a regular event of this magnitude really does have to be a partnership as it’s not something the council can do alone. So I would encourage anyone interested at all, to get in touch.”
