[Closed] Begining of the end for Park Run's ?

parkrun have made a statement.

[url= http://www.parkrun.org.uk/news/2016/04/12/parkrun-reaction-to-stoke-gifford-parish-council-decision/ ]http://www.parkrun.org.uk/news/2016/04/12/parkrun-reaction-to-stoke-gifford-parish-council-decision/[/url]

As have Little Stoke parkrun

[url= http://www.parkrun.org.uk/littlestoke/news/2016/04/12/thank-you/ ]http://www.parkrun.org.uk/littlestoke/news/2016/04/12/thank-you/[/url]

This is interesting

[url= http://www.parkrun.org.uk/littlestoke/news/2016/03/30/a-statement-on-behalf-of-little-stoke-parkrun-and-parkrun-uk/ ]http://www.parkrun.org.uk/littlestoke/news/2016/03/30/a-statement-on-behalf-of-little-stoke-parkrun-and-parkrun-uk/[/url]

Anyone hear the woman interviewed on Today? The way she was going on it sounded like they were suggesting sending her kids to Mars

I'm a park runner and on a Parish Council.

I think the Parish have called this right.

They've tried it for three years, it hasn't worked out so the Park Run will have to find somewhere else.

Our local park run relocated when permission was withdrawn without any fuss.

I think parkrun needs to maintain a dignified distance from the council's arguments, and not get dragged into "you said we said" debate, before something is said and taken the wrong way.

Parish councils are under funding pressures like everywhere else and I can see how they have seen the national parkrun organisation and thought they had found an opportunity. Interested that parkrun is a limited company and not a charity.

This is a great example of how public bodies are desperate to get funding from other organisations and other public bodies at the moment, with no joined up thinking or view of the bigger picture.

Big Society in action being screwed over by austerity. Oh, the ironing, eh, Mr Cameron?

I heard the interview with the COO on R5 yesterday and lost more sympathy.

He was playing up that they're a not for profit organisation and take no money locally. Well non of the local football clubs or other sports clubs that use council facilities make profit either, but they get charged and have to take money (not a lot, but some). He couldn't see how they could possibly take money practically with only volunteers, whilst ignoring the many sports clubs that manage just that. He spent some time talking about benefit in kind of having many runners in the park without ever really explaining what the benefit is to the council.

Parkrun has managed to put itself in a privileged place compared to many other local sports events by stating that it's not going to pay to use facilities and just accepting that this won't be challenged. That's fine as a principle but you need to accept you might be moved on in that case if the land owner disagrees in the end.

Can we just be clear that this embarrassment of a tinpot dibleyesque council is literally nothing to do with Bristol, it a different local authority area (tory South Gloucestershire) and a million miles away in politics, ideology and demographic. Thank *.

If you want dibley-esque, tinpot, NIMBY fwits, look no further than long ashton or clifton or even worse, those horfield dickheads!!!

Our local park run relocated when permission was withdrawn without any fuss

All fine and dandy if you've got another park to go to. The arguments seem to indicate that most runners are local. If there isn't another space in a reasonable distance then the parkrun stops. Simple. People who may be taking exercise as part of parkrun will gradually lose motivation and stop running.

Some people run fine with no motivation. As already stated in this thread parkrun provides a valuable opportunity for non-runners, those with children etc. to get fit on a Saturday morning. If I twist my neck far enough I can kinda see some of the council's points but it is incredibly short-sighted of them and I can't really agree with anything they say. Still the local residents can flood back to enjoying their park on a Saturday and Sunday morning now or as I suspect the park will go back to being deserted apart from a couple of dog walkers.

Anyone hear the woman interviewed on Today? The way she was going on it sounded like they were suggesting sending her kids to Mars

I heard it. I wonder how many people they had to ask before they found one who would provide a suitably dramatic reaction! Shows how little sanity there is to the reporting of this (non)story.

The statement from the council is worth a read. It's clear they've been totally supporting to date, including giving them storage space. They even offered to fill out a grant application - all the Park Run Team had to do was sign it. That's pretty supportive.

Usually park runs are a good thing for the venue. In this case it seems it hasn't been and on balance the locals no longer want to host it. So Parkrun just need to find somewhere more suitable. How many UK Park Runs are in a different location to the original one? Ours has moved three times to my knowledge.

The arguments seem to indicate that most runners are local.

Cars are a big problem, so many of them must be coming a reasonable distance.

This park is funded by a Parish, not a town or County. It's easy for a town, or county to swallow up a bit of cost, but resurfacing a car park is a massive project for a PC.

Grants are available for infrastructure, but if Parkrun won't sign the application form...

Grants are available for infrastructure, but if Parkrun won't sign the application form...

Please ignore this complete bollocks

The only one talking bollocks is you. csb quite correctly pointed out that the park falls within S. Gloucestershire.

This park is funded by a Parish, not a town or County.

No, it's funded by taxpayers. It would seem the Parish would like them to pay twice.

but resurfacing a car park is a massive project for a PC.

Are you saying that the car park wouldn't need resurfacing if Parkrun didn't exist?

LOL. Please ignore this complete bollocks. Until a few years ago it was very much bristol and still has Bristol on the address. An imaginary line was drawn and it was nominated as SG. Same people, same place.
If anything, the city of bristol is even worse, with a mayor so corrupt he'd make any tory blush.

Cars are a big problem, so many of them must be coming a reasonable distance.

Yes it is physically close but in a political sense it is very much South Gloucestershire.

The only one talking bollocks is you. csb quite correctly pointed out that the park falls within S. Gloucestershire.

Would be interesting to know what the guys at the top are earning out of the thousands of volunteers' hard work (not to mention the benefit to the sponsors). If a Ltd co wants to do timed runs, with sponsor involvement, etc, maybe they should have to follow the same procedure as a proper running club as surfer suggests above. There's nothing to stop the locals organising themselves and having a mass-start, non timed, non corporate run on a sat morning though. That would be a good response IMO.

Only a few years ago south gloucestershire didn't exist.

20 years ago. Before that it was in Avon.

Not Bristol.

Do yourself a favour and shut up chris.

I'm quite happy for you to carry on embarrassing yourself. You might want to be in Bristol, but you're not. Deal with it.

How is Avon going to have a mayor?

You miss the point completely

How is Avon going to have a mayor?

And where was Bristol? Ah, yes it was in Avon.

I'm quite happy for you to carry on embarrassing yourself. You might want to be in Bristol, but you're not. Deal with it.

And where was Bristol? Ah, yes it was in Avon.

So was Bath. Are you saying Bath was in Bristol, numbnuts?

Maybe maybe not, but I'm still far more bristolian than you'll ever be.

Would you like to meet chris? Many SG addesses have bristol in the address, mine does. That is because it was part of bristol. Do you think bath addresses had bristol in them?

Usually park runs are a good thing for the venue. In this case it seems it hasn't been and on balance the locals no longer want to host it.

Not sure how you've drawn this conclusion - very clearly, the [url= http://www.parkrun.org.uk/littlestoke/ ]186.1[/url] weekly local attendees are quite happy with the venue - it's a handful of parish councillors/NIMBYists who no longer want to host it.
I wonder if, when the next parish council elections come around, there might be a few parkrunners on the ballot sheet?

Would you like to meet chris?

That is because it was part of bristol.

Wannabe.

https://companycheck.co.uk/company/07289574/PARKRUN-LIMITED/summary

I was here when we were in avon (and bristol).

Stoke Gifford was in Northavon, not Bristol. Both were part of Avon County Council. That takes us back to 1974, btw.

If you're struggling to place where I'm from, it's somewhere called "educated".

Got a meeting to discuss my new job in bristol centre

I don't really count sustainability grads as educated. I should know, I have two who work for me.

I don't really count sustainability grads as educated. I should know, I have two who work for me.

Listen petal, no amount of bluster from you is going to put Stoke Gifford in Bristol. And if you're a representative example, then you'd fit right in on the parish council.

Newthump's take on it...[url= http://newsthump.com/2016/04/13/park-to-install-coin-operated-swings-a-premium-slide-and-a-members-only-roundabout/ ]More charges[/url]

I wonder if, when the next parish council elections come around, there might be a few parkrunners on the ballot sheet?

Why wait, you can be co-opted onto a PC at any time...

It's not exactly a 'job' people are fighting to do so volunteers are always welcome.

Nothing to add to the conversation, other than Ransos and Wrecker's 'who's more Bristolian conversation' is hilarious. Please keep going.

Agreed. This thread is 'gert lush'.

I'm still far more bristolian than you'll ever be.

Jonathon Liew's article [url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/2016/04/12/paris-roubaix-cobbles-offers-one-of-the-most-thrilling-sights-in/ ]here[/url], whilst about Paris-Roubaix makes a very interesting point about how exercise and sport are seen in the UK and mentioned this issues. Worth a read.

Nobody can deny they are being dicks Chris but they aren't alone are they?
Trash horfield, Ashton stadia development etc.
on that is it your sept refusing to publish accts for the go green spending? We're you aware of the mayor giving thousands of it to his daughters DANCE TROUPE?

He spent some time talking about benefit in kind of having many runners in the park without ever really explaining what the benefit is to the council.

Why should it benefit the council?

There's nothing to stop the locals organising themselves and having a mass-start, non timed, non corporate run on a sat morning though.

There's nothing to stop them timing it either.

In fact, I'm struggling to understand what mechanism would be used to stop a park run happening in a public place.

Why should it benefit the council?

I assume by council, he meant 'parishioners'.

In fact, I'm struggling to understand what mechanism would be used to stop a park run happening in a public place.

Nobody can deny they are being dicks Chris but they aren't alone are they?
Trash horfield, Ashton stadia development etc.
on that is it your sept refusing to publish accts for the go green spending? We're you aware of the mayor giving thousands of it to his daughters DANCE TROUPE?

I don't know what forms of communication are usual in your suburban dormitory, but if you want to be understood elsewhere (Bristol, for example), I suggest you re-write that in English.

We're you aware of the mayor giving thousands of it to his daughters DANCE TROUPE?

Flaperon - Member
He spent some time talking about benefit in kind of having many runners in the park without ever really explaining what the benefit is to the council.
Why should it benefit the council?

Because the benefit in kind was in lieu of payment. It was slightly galling hearing from a paid COO that his company (not for profit admittedly) should get free access to council facilities when local clubs get charged for the same arrangement.

I've not heard any reason why park run should be treated differently to other local clubs using council facilities for an event.

Or do you mean the money given to 'Playing Out' the charity encouraging the use of public spaces for public events for which she is a volunteer director?

Oh the ironing!!!

I've not heard any reason why park run should be treated differently to other local clubs using council facilities for an event.

It's not a club, and it's difficult to see what cost there is to the council. It's not really the same as having to maintain a football pitch or a bowling green...

Parkrun say they shouldn't pay as they're not asking for exclusive use whereas a football team needs exclusive use.

Oh the ironing!!!

Parkrun say they shouldn't pay as they're not asking for exclusive use whereas a football team needs exclusive use.

If the council had been even slightly smart, they'd have asked for a donation, and sent a councillor to the events with a bucket. Even better, set up a kiosk selling tea & coffee.