There’s never a dull moment in a family of nine, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t time for volunteering!
Victoria lives in Leitrim, with her local parkrun in Bundoran Promenade. She is a proud mother to her seven children, with the youngest being five, and the eldest 16. She became interested in running when watching her husband, and she admired his passion so much that she decided to pick up the hobby herself! She says they are a family who love running, walking and being active in the outdoors.
Victoria says “It’s fair to say our family of nine is now a parkrun family! Last Saturday, my eldest daughter Annie took on her first volunteer role at parkrun, after having ran the course herself the past couple of weeks”.
Annie added “I love parkrun as it gives me a great boost of joy and gets my weekend off to a fantastic start. parkrun to me means socialising, exercising, positivity, and most importantly having lots of fun outdoors”.
Having Annie volunteer last week was a very proud and emotional moment for Victoria! She says “It was great to see her take on the responsibility of timekeeper and the compassionate mindset she had for others. My second eldest daughter Sadie will volunteer this week also.
Saturday morning volunteering with family is so special. You leave behind the business of everyday life, school and work, and get to bond over an activity that you both love. Getting that time to have meaningful conversations with your child is so important in a world where there’s so much distraction.
That being said, the greatest gift is the gift of time you get at parkrun. Aside from the amazing physical and health benefits, use it to spend time with each other. It’s free, like the gift of time. Something I have learned over the last 16 years being a mum is that all children want is your time. Just walk and talk parkrun together. There is no winner and no last place, but you have certainly won a place in your children’s heart being there. You will make beautiful memories and broaden their understanding of the world”.
This story and many more like it can be found at https://blog.parkrun.com/ie/
This National Volunteering Week, we’re celebrating the connections and relationships that are built and nurtured by volunteering. We’re building community together.
Thank you to Victoria and Annie for sharing their story. Please email [email protected] if you’d like to share yours!
