It was a real pleasure to complete my first ever volunteering stint at Lewes parkrun. The morning arrived foggy and cool, with the sun making a few brave attempts to break through the mist — but never quite managing it.

I joined the volunteer team at 8:30am, ready for the 9am start, and was genuinely astonished by how many people turn out to support this event. My previous volunteering has mostly been in North London, so it was lovely to see such a strong, enthusiastic team here in Sussex.

I ended up chatting with Richard, a keen runner all his life who now volunteers regularly to give something back to the parkrun community. We were paired up as marshals, stationed to guide runners around the cones — a surprisingly hard job, but someone’s got to do it! We took our role seriously, encouraged the runners, and enjoyed being part of a wonderfully friendly and committed group.

A great start to helping out at Lewes — and hopefully the first of many.