Partners have worked together to bring a new event to the local county parkrun calendar.
The new parkrun event, in Diglis, takes place every Sunday from 9am, starting from Diglis Fields, Diglis Lane, Worcester, WR5 3FB.
Local volunteers have been at the heart of making the project happen, with the County Council working alongside them and Worcester City Council on bringing more running opportunities to Worcester.
In Worcestershire, current activity rates amongst children and young people (50%) are higher than both the regional and national averages, and this is something the council’s Public Health team want to help continue to grow.
Councillor Karen May, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing for Worcestershire County Council said: “We are so excited to see the Worcester Junior parkrun become a reality.
“Bringing people together to get active not only benefits physical health, but helps us meet new people and feel part of our community. We were very happy to provide the Public Health grant funding to support such a great initiative and team of volunteers.”
Lisa McNally, Director of Public Health in Worcestershire added: “I’ve seen how much work the organisers have put into getting Worcester Junior parkrun started. So to see it all become a reality on Sunday morning was just amazing!
“Public Health in Worcestershire have worked really hard to increase opportunities all across the county, for young people to get active and removing barriers to participation.
“I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to bring another parkrun event to the Worcestershire map.”
Public Health in Worcestershire have worked alongside Parkrun organisers to ensure this event is added to the list of county events, giving young people more options when it comes to exercise.
Co-Event Directors of the new junior parkrun, Kirsten Beard and Lucy Capel, said:
“We are thrilled that Diglis Fields junior parkrun has become a reality, as we are both passionate about the potential benefits for both children’s health and well-being, and for those who are able to volunteer.
“We are thankful for the support of both councils in making this vision a reality, and in recognising junior parkrun as a positive and beneficial regular, free event for all young people aged 4-14. We look forward to building a community around the event, and we are excited about its future. Parkrun is inclusive and welcomes everyone – you can run or walk, skip or take part in a wheelchair, volunteer or just cheer from the sidelines. Everyone is welcome!”
Councillor Jabbar Riaz, Chair of Worcester City Council’s Communities Committee, said: “We’re very pleased to have worked with the organisers to get the junior parkrun up and running on Diglis Playing Fields. It’s already proving to be a big hit, getting local kids active and running.”
Offering residents access to regular exercise events is a key part of the County Council’s Health & Wellbeing strategy, which launched in 2022. It aims for ‘safe, thriving and healthy homes, communities and places’.
The strategy commits to ensuring a range of local and affordable activities and events are available to people of all ages, and maximising the usage of and providing access to green space and outdoor activities.
Joining the parkrun is free but please register before you first come along: To register, please visit the Registration pages of the Parkrun website.
You only need to ever register with parkrun once and don’t forget to bring a scannable copy of your barcode (request a reminder). If you forget it, you won’t get a time.
