I have moved in an unknown area a little under nine years now. I am a pretty private person, keeping to myself and it worked out well for a while. I didn’t know anyone here, I was a first time mum with no parent friends. We moved here mid November and I had to find a nursery for my little one as I was due back to work from my maternity leave on 2nd of January.

For a while it was nice. Me and my little girl having our little park days and shopping sessions together. She was a pretty chilled child. It was a privilege for me to spend all that time with her and make so many memories together.

As she grew up, she needed me less and less and it got lonely. I still had no sense of community and that village everyone talks about. I have tried a few mum groups but I found them very judgemental and quite unfriendly.

Things slightly changed when she started reception at the age of four. We slowly built an incredible network and I found my people – my life time friends. They are my community. We help each other other, we pick each other up when we are down and we kind of raise our children together.

About two years ago, I found an opportunity that I could not refuse.

Parkrun was looking for a team to open a junior event right on our doorstep. I just raised my hand not knowing what am I getting myself into. For a while it was just me and a lot of paperwork. At times it felt like nothing will actually happen and I lost hope. But, you know what? It is true! Things do happen when you least expect them.

I posted an add on facebook asking people to help gather a core team with at least 4 run directors. There have been a few promises but by 19th of march 2023, it was just me and a Run Director along with my village, my school mums. The ladies who made this event possible, dragging their toddlers every Sunday morning to help me grow this event.

For over a year it was just the two of us and a handful of mums. Slowly, we managed to make ourselves seen and more and more parents joined the team. After two years, now we have four Run Directors, myself as Event Director and the help of the mums gang and local joggers club.

So here it is.

Junior parkrun is a free, fun and friendly weekly 2k event for juniors aged 4-14 years old. The event is held every Sunday morning at 9am everywhere in the world (in all countries where parkrun has a presence)

With this, I made my local community better. Every Sunday morning we bring our children to the park where they run 2k. We built an incredible team of volunteers who come to help set up the event and make sure everyone is safe. We grew as a community and we have more and more children participating every week.

Our little parkrun is gathering children from different schools. There is competition. There is friendship. There is camaraderie. The spirit we grow into these children is incredible and I am proud of putting all this together. It literally took a year of approvals and course measuring, and risk assessment and training but I did it.

Junior parkrun is not only for running. We encourage the children to run, jog, skip, walk. As long as they cross the finish line and have fun! Some just volunteer! They don’t want to run but are there to help every week and cheer on their friends.

Our children grow up learning how important it is to keep moving, to be strong and healthy. It also teaches them how to be a team, how to help one an other, be kind and always look after each other.

How would you make your community better? In what way do you help your community?