Run, jog, walk or volunteer at local parkruns says Gavin Newlands MP

Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North,  encourages everyone in Renfrewshire to run, jog, walk or volunteer at a ‘parkrun’ on the weekend of the 1^st and 2^nd of October to help celebrate the 12^th anniversary of the running phenomenon. There are parkruns currently taking place in 440 Constituencies each weekend, with more events launching every week. 

Gavin Newlands MP is taking part in the parkrun event that’s being held in Linwood on Saturday the 1^st of October. 

parkrun UK supports local volunteers to establish and deliver free, weekly, timed runs for their communities, which are accessible to both runners and walkers of all ages and abilities. 

Saturday 5k events are open to everyone, and 2k junior parkrun on Sunday is for children aged from 4-14. 

Since the first parkrun in London’s Bushy Park in 2004, more than one million people in the UK have taken part. Each weekend sees around 90,000 runners and walkers participating in the free 5k and 2k events, thanks to the contribution of 10,000 volunteers. 

Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, said: 

“parkrun and junior parkrun are two of the most accessible activities you will find anywhere. They are completely free, open to anyone and perfect for families because they can participate together. 

“The fact that parkrun is a run not a race, and finishes with people enjoying tea and coffee together, shows that it is as much about bringing the local community together each week as it is about running. 

“I am looking forward to taking part in the parkrun event that’s being held in Linwood on the 1^st of October. This will be a great opportunity to have fun as a community and become more active in the process. 

Chief Operating Officer for parkrun UK Tom Williams said:

“Our aim is to break down the barriers to regular physical activity and volunteering, both for organisers and participants. We are proud to support local volunteers in more than 500 locations around the UK who provide parkrun to their communities every weekend.

“We know that many MPs are already regular participants at their local parkruns, and we’ve been delighted to hear from so many others who will be going along on the first weekend in October to see first-hand the amazing contribution that parkrun volunteers are making in their constituencies.”

 Earlier this month around 50 MPs attended a parkrun Parliamentary Reception hosted by Graham Evans MP, the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Running. The Reception provided parkrun UK with an opportunity to explain more about how it is supporting local communities to promote regular physical activity and volunteering.