Beyond Your Brand Values in Action: Our Ops Manager Celebrates 250th Parkrun Volunteering Milestone
This weekend, on Saturday 27th June, Ally reached an incredibly special milestone; her 250th parkrun volunteering occasion. Over to Ally to tell us more…..
The number itself, while impressive and a testament to my commitment to Saturday mornings in Witney, is only part of the story. What makes it even more meaningful are the memories, the people, the encouragement, the smiles at the finish line, and the incredible sense of community that parkrun creates every single week. It really is one of my happy places and a great way to kick-start each weekend.
As Operations Manager at Beyond Your Brand, community, teamwork and giving back are values I see reflected in our business every day. We talk a lot about looking beyond the brand, building genuine connections, supporting others and creating positive opportunities. For me, parkrun is a perfect example of those values in action outside the office.
As a member of the Core Team at Witney parkrun, I feel incredibly proud to be part of the gang that helps make this happen for our local community. Every event is built on the enthusiasm, kindness and commitment of volunteers who give their time to make sure others can walk, jog, run and connect together.
One of my most memorable moments was being Run Director for the 1 millionth parkrun event the fortnight before (13th June), a truly special occasion that brought home just how much these events mean to people. Behind every finish token, every barcode scan, every course marshal and every welcome at the start line, there are people helping create something bigger than just the opportunity to walk, jog or run 5k.
That’s what makes parkrun so special. It’s not just about running as many people instantly assume. It’s about belonging. It’s about friendships, wellbeing, small personal achievements, and creating a space where everyone is welcome.
There are so many special memories we've accumulated along the way, and the feel-good factor is truly contagious. Whether it’s welcoming someone completing their very first event or someone celebrating a milestone, the stag & hen parties, the local sports groups/charity takeovers, the sponsored runners who are fundraising, the fancy dress costumes, or the vast numbers of young DofE participants we have helped achieve their volunteering skills sections....our numbers have grown to around 300 people showing up each week for a 9am start; it's brilliant.
All of the 'parkrun tourists' that join us from around the UK & abroad, always make a point of letting us know that we may well be THE friendliest, most encouraging parkrun they've ever done.... Our team of volunteers are truly amazing!
I’m incredibly grateful to be part of the Witney parkrun core team and to play a small part in something that brings so much positivity to our community every Saturday morning. If you haven't already; I would urge you to come & join in the fun.
It’s super-easy to get involved as a participant or a Volunteer; just register for a free barcode and I shall see you there! You might even bump into some of the BYB team there too who have been known to run the course ;-)
There are parkruns quite literally everywhere, so if you’re not local to us, there will be a parkrun happening near you!
Saturday was a fantastic celebration I shared with Bertie (a fellow core team member), having engineered our dates to coincide. We treated everyone to a post-parkrun treat as it was the perfect excuse for cake!
So Congratulations to us, and here’s to the next milestone, the next conversation, the next finish line and many more Saturday mornings spent making parkrun magic happen.
As part of Beyond Your Brand’s commitment to supporting causes that matter to our team, every employee is given a donation each year to put towards a charity or community cause of their choice. Ally has chosen for her donation to support Witney parkrun, helping to contribute to the brilliant volunteer-led efforts that make the event possible every Saturday morning.
