Local MP, David Rutley, is encouraging local residents in and around Macclesfield to run, jog, walk or volunteer at a ‘parkrun’, after meeting with parkrun UK in Parliament recently and taking part in a local parkrun himself on Saturday 1st October at Lyme Park.
David participated in the run as part of International parkrun Day. At Lyme Park, he congratulated runners and volunteers and saw first-hand the benefits of these events. Lyme Park regularly hosts parkrun events, where runners and joggers of all abilities are able to take part in a 5 km course through the breath taking countryside at the Park. Thanks to the efforts of local organisers and the support of the National Trust, runners can participate each Saturday at 9.00am to help get more active outdoors and test themselves against the clock.
Earlier this month, David was one of around 50 MPs who attended a parkrun UK Parliamentary Reception hosted by Graham Evans MP, 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. Nationally, events take place in 440 Parliamentary constituencies, attracting 90,000 runners and walkers, thanks to the contribution of 10,000 volunteers. More parkrun events are launching every week, and further information about parkrun UK can be found here: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/
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.”
Speaking after the parkrun David said, “parkrun and junior parkrun are two activities that are readily available to local residents. 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 taking the chance to talk and enjoy refreshments together, shows that it is as much about bringing the local community together each week as it is running. I believe that it is important to get more people active, and events like parkrun are crucial for that. I would like to thank all those who make parkruns possible at Lyme Park.”