I volunteer every week at Milton Keynes junior parkrun. It’s a free 2K run for kids aged four to fourteen, and honestly, it’s one of the best parts of my week. I love junior parkrun anyway — I’ve been going for ages — and I always saw my mum volunteering, so I wanted to help out too. Being the warm-up leader felt perfect for me.
I’ve been volunteering for about three years now, doing the same role every single week. I even do it when I’m on holiday — yes, genuinely — I’ve led warm-ups over FaceTime from beaches, hotel rooms, and once from a very windy balcony. If there’s a Sunday morning, I’m there.
I keep doing it because it’s fun. Real fun. I love being part of the team, and I love helping other kids get ready to run. It feels good knowing I’m part of something that helps people feel fitter and happier.
My reasons haven’t really changed. I still love it for the same reasons I did at the start — it makes me feel good, and it helps other people too.
I want to stay fit, make friends, and help other kids see that running isn’t scary or boring — it’s actually great when you’re doing it together. That’s what junior parkrun does: it makes running fun.
Being the warm-up leader means I sometimes stand in front of 200 kids (and a bunch of grown-ups who pretend they’re “just supervising”). It’s wild in the best way. When I’m out with my family, people come up to me and say, “Hi, warm-up Tom!” The other week, when I was looking round a secondary school, one of the staff members spotted me and said, “Hang on… are you warm-up Tom?” I felt famous for about three seconds.
There isn’t just one moment that stands out. Every week is amazing. Seeing all those kids and adults jumping, stretching, wiggling, and laughing during the warm-up… it never gets old.
Volunteering has given me more friends too. I meet so many people I wouldn’t normally meet, and that’s honestly epic.
It hasn’t always been easy, though. I’m neurodiverse, and at first I used to get upset if the warm-up didn’t go exactly the way I planned — if I forgot a move or got distracted. But volunteering has made me more confident. I’ve learned that it’s okay to make mistakes, even if I still don’t love it. Running at junior parkrun has taught me that you don’t need to be first to be proud of yourself. Showing up is what matters.
The most rewarding part is seeing more and more kids come every week — knowing I’m helping them keep fit, stay healthy, and enjoy themselves.
Volunteering has changed me. I feel more confident. I feel kinder. I enjoy helping people, and I know now that I can do anything I put my mind to — even when the plan goes sideways. I’ve learnt to adapt, which helps me in everyday life too.
Will I keep volunteering? Definitely. One day, I’d love to be a run director.
My advice? Just go for it. Give it a try. Your time — even a little bit — can make loads of people happy. And if you don’t like it, you don’t have to do it again. But you might end up loving it as much as I do.
