Leominster’s Queenswood Country Park is officially the new home for the community running event that has taken the UK by storm, adding to the 890 parkrun locations across the nation
The event welcomes attendees to run, jog, walk, volunteer or spectate every Saturday morning at 9am, with 128 people all taking part at the inaugural event in Leominster, held on Saturday 29th November.
Janet Harris, Leominster resident and new Co-Event Director at Queenswood Country Park parkrun, helped establish the new event, and will be part of the delivery team going forward, supported by a diverse range of volunteers.
She said: “I have lived near Leominster for 25 years and felt more should be available for people to do as a community to enable them to be active.
“After two years of searching and planning, we spoke to the team at Queenswood, devised a route and recruited a really enthusiastic core team.
“With support from William Lloyd, the Event Support Ambassador for parkrun UK, and the local GP Surgery, we sorted the admin and the rest is history.”
Bringing parkrun to Leominster was a collaborative effort between dedicated volunteers who work hard to ensure every event is a success, and the team at Herefordshire Wildlife Trust for the usage of the scenic and spacious Queenswood Country Park.
Ahead of the inaugural event, a range of volunteers were upskilled in first aid through training provided by Active Herefordshire and Worcestershire, after connections were made through the organisation’s place-based working project in the area.
William Lloyd, Event Support Ambassador for parkrun UK, said: “Queenswood Country Park provides a stunning backdrop for parkrun and all the fantastic health and wellbeing benefits of outdoor exercise with others, whether that’s walking, running or jogging five kilometres, or volunteering in one of the various roles available.
“We’re immensely grateful to Herefordshire Wildlife Trust and the team on-site at Queenswood for being so supportive during the event’s setup, and the core team of new parkrun volunteers who have all been so enthusiastic to see a new event at Queenswood and will deliver the event on a weekly basis going forward.”
After the event, there is also always the opportunity to have a hot drink at Queenswood Café, with all attendees welcome to swap stories about the event that day and be part of the community.
A parkrun event is all about inclusivity, and there is no prior experience needed. There is no required time limit, and nobody taking part finishes last. Connecting with the community and being out in nature makes parkrun a great benefit for both physical and mental wellbeing.
Attendees do not need to pay to attend any parkrun, across the UK, but attendees are required to register ahead of arrival if they want their official times to be recorded. Once registered, you do not need to do so again, but you need to ensure you arrive at the event with a copy of a scannable barcode to receive your time.
For those looking to volunteer at the event, there is no prior knowledge or skills required, only enthusiasm and dedication for delivering a positive event for the community.
Leominster joins Hereford and Ross-on-Wye as official parkrun locations across county of Herefordshire.
To learn more about the parkrun at Queenswood Country Park, or to enquire about volunteering, visit https://www.parkrun.org.uk/queenswoodcountrypark/.