Bedford parkrun

31 watchers

fetcheveryone Dec 2012 12:01pm, 15 Dec 2012 12,156 posts	0 fetcheveryone The message on the parkrun website points quite clearly at it being about a shortage of volunteers. I hope there are plenty next week parkrun.org.uk
The Teaboy Dec 2012 12:04pm, 15 Dec 2012 3,892 posts	0 The Teaboy I can't make next week.
Silvershadow Dec 2012 12:38pm, 15 Dec 2012 714 posts	0 Silvershadow Nightjar and I did a Parkrun freedom this morning with a group of runners who didn't know it had. been cancelled. We had 3 volunteers who also didn't know it had been cancelled and a coach from luton whose runners hadn't turned up, who offered to use his posh coaches stopwatch and shouted the times out for us. Lovely morning and I earnt my cake.
Silvershadow Dec 2012 12:41pm, 15 Dec 2012 715 posts	0 Silvershadow I'll be there next week with my Ikea bag to collect foodbank donations for Bedford foodank. Todays run was my festive foodbank run.
The Teaboy Dec 2012 1:08pm, 15 Dec 2012 3,895 posts	0 The Teaboy SS, that sounds really cool. I wish I'd turned up now for that.
rosehip Dec 2012 1:58pm, 15 Dec 2012 1,087 posts	0 rosehip I wish I'd gone too ended up using a "free" morning to spring clean the kitchen! I can't make next week
PowerJen Dec 2012 3:15pm, 15 Dec 2012 932 posts	0 PowerJen I coordinate the volunteers at Cambridge and we often have the problem on a Thursday or Friday that simply not enough people have come forward. An extra plea on Facebook usually rounds up a few more, but usually people who want to take a volunteer position where they can run, too, which is great. But we often need people just to do jobs which requires them not to run. We normally have enough when it gets to the Saturday morning as people just turn up and say they'll help. But it is difficult when you look at a list of 3 or 4 names on a Friday and you know you can't run a parkrun as big as Cambridge on that. I can see why Bedford had to make the decision to cancel. It's difficult.
Petit papa Nightjar Dec 2012 3:26pm, 15 Dec 2012 3,960 posts	0 Petit papa Nightjar We had a good turn out for a freedom run
Petit papa Nightjar Dec 2012 3:37pm, 15 Dec 2012 3,961 posts	0 Petit papa Nightjar As I said on facebook, the problem is that parkrun directors appear to cry wolf. I have repsonded to a few appeals for volunteers to find volunteers all over the show and I could have run instead had I put my kit on. This is particularly true at Bedford. I wish the emails would clarify what is meant by short on volunteers. The reality is that you need a few things covered such as timer person and position handout. There's probably going to be someone around who can do barcode scanning. The rest is largely icing on the cake - especially at a fairly small parkrun like Bedford with a nearly impossible to get lost route.
PowerJen Dec 2012 3:57pm, 15 Dec 2012 933 posts	0 PowerJen I do feel for Bedford. You can't judge how many will turn up on a Saturday morning to volunteer if they've not reponded to emails. I've only run there once, so not really sure how many volunteers are needed on a typical week. Cambridge need lots of volunteers as we are so big now. We have people who've run every week this year and have never volunteered. Those 50/100 T-shirts sometimes have a lot to answer for where volunteering is concerned!