Monday 13 November 2017

Vitality to reward parkrun volunteers

Vitality, the business changing health and life insurance for good, has launched a new reward programme for parkrun volunteers.

The Vitality Volunteer Reward Programme aims to recognise and celebrate parkrun volunteers, who every Saturday morning help to make sure their local event goes smoothly. Up to 10 volunteers a month from across the UK will be chosen by parkrun event directors to receive a Vitality goody bag filled with kit and merchandise as well as prizes from Vitality’s partners such as Starbucks and cinema chains Cineworld and Vue.
 
To launch the new programme, AFC Bournemouth players, including Steve Cook, Simon Francis and Charlie Daniels, awarded goody bags to 10 local volunteers in recognition of their work and support. The prize-giving, which took place on Saturday before the parkrun at Bournemouth’s Kings Park Athletics Stadium, was followed by a football skills and games session with runners and their friends and family alongside AFC Bournemouth team mascot Cherry Bear.

Nick Read, Commercial Director at Vitality, said: “We’ve been sponsors of parkrun for five years and during that time it has gone from strength to strength. I am delighted that through this new programme we can give something back to those people who dedicate their time to ensure parkrun continues to be such an amazing success.”

Maggie Stokes, Volunteer Marshall, added: "This is totally unexpected and very kind. It's amazing. We don't do it for rewards, we do it because we love it and it's so nice to be recognised."

Steve Shuck, Volunteer Finish Line Funnel Manager, said: "I'm honoured to receive this, I really enjoy coming to parkrun every weekend and I'm really committed as an ex-runner myself. My favourite thing about volunteering is seeing runners of all different ages improve, from kids to grandparents. It's also great to see so many running together as a family." 

Vitality is one of the largest employers in Bournemouth and is also the Official Wellness Partner of AFC Bournemouth and headline sponsor of the Community Sports Trust. AFC Bournemouth’s stadium has been named Vitality Stadium since 2015.

Earlier this year Vitality, which has been a partner of parkrun UK since 2012, announced it would become the first headline partner of the running event in the UK. parkrun supports local communities in organising free, weekly, timed 5k runs every Saturday morning at more than 480 venues across the UK, along with 190 2k junior parkruns. More than 200,000 people have volunteered at parkrun events across the UK.