This Sunday, I headed to Mile End Park to support the ever-enthusiastic Mile End junior parkrun crew. With the new school term just getting underway, it was fantastic to see over 50 young runners (plus plenty of parents and carers) kick-start their Sunday with fresh air, fun, and fitness. After a quick briefing from the ever enthusiastic Bessy (Race Director), I got stuck into helping with set-up duties, followed by a stint on barcode scanning. Other volunteers took on marshalling, handing out finish tokens, and — most importantly — forming the all-essential cheer squad! The energy on the course was infectious — lots of cheers, big smiles, and impressive sprint finishes as the runners made their way around the two-lap course. We welcomed six first timers, including two doing their first-ever junior parkrun, and celebrated seven shiny new PBs! A special shout-out to Perry, who squeezed in some volunteering before setting off on a cycle to Luxembourg — absolute legend. As always, the event ran smoothly thanks to a fantastic team of volunteers. Volunteering at junior parkrun is a brilliant way to support young runners and the local community. Whether you’re cheering on the sidelines or scanning barcodes at the finish line, every role helps make the magic happen.

An day off work allowed Area Activator Simon the opportunity to help out at Mile End junior parkrun on Easter Sunday. A much appreciated Saturday night email was sent to event directors Clem and Bessie, and we were able to allocate the roles of "Timekeeper" and "Warm Up Leader" on the volunteer roster. 29 keen runners between the ages of 4 and 14 years old took on the 2km course as a great way to start the day. Well done everyone.

Jo, Louise and John gathered at Mile End to volunteer at the Junior ParkRun for the first time, assisting a happy, smiling group of youngsters

John marshalled at the bottom of the hill between the "out" lane and the return one. Louise brought up the rear as tail walker, looking after an ever-changing mix of slower participants. Jo took a while to find the start point, but she also played her part and I made a mental note to pinpoint the position more clearly next time.

Well done Jo, who reached 50 good deeds later in the day. Looking forward to seeing her in a black t-shirt

For the third time this month, we bolstered the ranks of the Mile End parkrun volunteers with a strong contingent of GoodGymers assisting in making the wonderful event go ahead as smoothly as possible.

New Taskforce member Philippa marshaled her first junior event, and was joined by fellow marshals Isabelle who is leading the charge for Tower Hamlets in the January Challenge with 10 good deeds completed so far, Elizabeth who is still going strong with her remarkable challenge to do at least one good deed per day in January (keep it up Liz!) and me. We were stationed along the course offering up a joyful barrage of encouragement to the young runners enthusiastically making their way around the two lap course.

Visiting hero Hannah was tasked with Barcode scanning, and very adeptly processed the parkrunners as they crossed the finish line to ensure their results were recorded accurately.

Another successful event aided by the team, and certainly one we will be revisiting in the future, so keep an eye out for future listings!