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Sep 2019
9:09am, 2 Sep 2019
10,487 posts
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MazH
Sounds complicated BexleyK! Well done Team.
Dibble, I love the bingo! what a sneaky wee trick!
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Sep 2019
9:46am, 2 Sep 2019
29,228 posts
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LindsD
Well done to that team.
All good points, Kev.
I think making things more simple is my first step.
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Sep 2019
10:38am, 2 Sep 2019
32,273 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Larkim, I don't understand why insisting on volunteering is so anathema (either to parkrun HQ or to some individuals).
If something is dependent on volunteers, then *everyone* who benefits from it should have to contribute. (Clearly exceptions could be allowed for illness, injury, social anxiety or any other legitimate reason, but they would be just that - exceptions.)
If volunteering is also an objective in its own right, then all well and good. But unless all events are constantly overflowing with volunteers (which they are not) then some form of insistence on volunteering is required.
I have been in a number of clubs for various pastimes, hobbies and charities and free helpers are essential. Unless there are more volunteers than required, some form of "duty" is required. Everyone will accept this (even if some reluctantly or with grumbling!)
Apologies if the reason for not insisting on volunteering has been discussed before and I've just missed it.
Had a lovely volunteering stint on Saturday at my local. And enjoyed running round it after all cleared up, later, in the rain!  G
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Sep 2019
10:41am, 2 Sep 2019
32,274 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
"...some form of "duty" is required. Everyone will accept this ..."
I meant to say "Everyone will accept this, who likes the fact that the event is free and/or volunteer organised. Those who would rather use a paid for service (those with lots of cash, and/or limited time or just generally don't like helping) can do so - plenty of expensive, commercially organised events or even club organised events.
Just imho etc. etc. G
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Sep 2019
10:50am, 2 Sep 2019
867 posts
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Nessie
When I started parkrunning, I did feel that the core team were the "experts" and that you needed to know what you were doing to be a volunteer. Not in a cliquey way, just assumed they had been trained. It took offering to help my friend doing close down and getting an unexpected volunteer credit to break the ice.
I've since done a few, but now that I'm chasing my 100 (hopefully by the end of the year) and I don't always know before Friday what activities I will need to ferry my children to, I don't want to commit to a role, then let the team down.
I have also chaperoned my kids volunteering - they like barcode scanning but can get a bit flustered if a code won't scan so I usually hang around for support, and they get the volunteer credit.
We had a kids takeover of volunteers this time last year - again some of the roles had backup adults, but it was a great way of getting the kids involved, and some of their parents too. My then 6-year old was tailwalker
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Sep 2019
10:55am, 2 Sep 2019
42,982 posts
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Velociraptor
I'm also on a countdown to 100 and prioritising running at the moment but anticipate doing a flurry of volunteering after I've secured my black t-shirt (though my get-out clause is that eL Bee! comes along to many of my runs and does a timing/scanning volunteer role).
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Sep 2019
11:02am, 2 Sep 2019
270 posts
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blindcider
happyG(rrr) The thing is that as a parkrun VC, RD or ED although it might be frustrating struggling to find volunteers every week when there are people who don't ever volunteer at parkrun you don't necessarily know their personal circumstances: They might volunteer at other organisations during the week, they might be a full time carer whose only respite is an hour at parkrun on a Saturday morning, or they may have other issues that may make volunteering a step too far for them.
"Forcing" people to volunteer is not the answer IMO as these are the people who will not turn up or do a rubbish job when they do. You only have to see some of the DofE kids (some not all) that are only there as an obligation to the scheme to get their tick in the box.
parkrun has always encouraged rather than expected people to volunteer and some parkruns do themselves no favours on this score by having overkill - you don't need 20+ volunteers when you have only 80-100 runners. Also contrary to HQ demands as RD I will do additional jobs during the run such as back-up timer or scanning some barcodes, knowing I might have to drop it at a moments notice to deal with an issue.
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Sep 2019
11:12am, 2 Sep 2019
8,479 posts
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larkim
I think the concept of insisting on volunteering makes it not volunteering, doesn't it?
I don't know how the maths would work out if *literally* every parkrunner had to do a 1:10 ratio or similar - I suspect they'd be swamped with too many volunteers but I can't quite get my head around the maths to calculate it.
I think HQ's perspective is that mandatory volunteering becomes a barrier to participation for some people. They prefer the organic "let everyone do what they want" perspective, with a push for volunteers if needed to be created by local teams doing locally relevant activities.
Its not hugely dissimilar to things like scouts / guides - the legions of parents who quite happily pay their subs, drop off their kids every week and then avoid getting drawn into being an adult leader or occasional help.
Maybe there is a case for those in parkrun HQ towers to take over running an event with marginal volunteering support for a few weeks to see the reality that some teams put up with. I do think there's quite a bit in the posts which suggest that the number of (minimum) volunteers is OTT at some events. Event teams can seem cliquey (unintentionally) too.
Like it or not, more people prefer to run parkrun than to volunteer at it. That will always make it a challenge to extract the right number of volunteers from the cohort, and in some cases it will push the viability of the parkrun to it's limits.
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Sep 2019
11:19am, 2 Sep 2019
8,480 posts
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larkim
Is it possible via the parkrun "backend" to do a comparison with the number of formal volunteer roles showing on the roster and the average weekly attendance? I wonder which events have the highest (and lowest) ratios?
My two locals work out that Delamere averages about 350 runners, 22 volunteer roles. Phoenix averages 100 with 21 roles, including 2 tail walkers. Phoenix has (needs?) more marshalls as it runs along the canal, but I reckon with a lead bike and / or more signs it could cut down those numbers a bit. I can't comment how many volunteers they actually use each week (i.e. which roles they let slip if they are undersubscribed for volunteers that week) but there were multiple marhalls on several turns when I ran at the weekend.
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Sep 2019
11:52am, 2 Sep 2019
29,230 posts
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LindsD
I'm glad you mentioned Scouts. When our local group was short of leaders, they had a parent rota. A named parent was asked to help each week, and it was explained why. If you couldn't do your week, the onus was on you to swap. Most people did their stint, some better than others. Some just didn't turn up, but they were very few.
We could definitely manage with fewer marshals, and I'm looking at that at the moment.
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