Gosport Rotary Club boosts Stokes Bay junior parkrun

Malcolm Dent said: ‘At the unearthly hour (to some) of 8.45am on a chilly Sunday morning, Gary and I arrived at Stokes Bay to present the junior parkrun group with the equipment they had asked for when we took the sleigh along to watch their Christmas Eve run.

‘Just under 100 young people took part, which is a tremendous achievement for the volunteers who run it and we were delighted to help.

‘We provided weatherproof writing boards, and the funnel system chain links and poles for the finish of each race.

‘I was given the honour of starting the run and watching the children having a great time.

‘There was also Ray, the event director from the Isle of Wight Medina parkrun present, as he is keen to start their own junior parkrun and had come to see how Stokes Bay was run.’

Stokes Bay junior parkrun event director Paul Atkinson said: We will be forever grateful to the people of Gosport, Malcolm and Gary from Gosport Rotarians for providing this equipment for Stokes Bay junior parkrun.

‘We run the event every Sunday in rain and all weathers, and the weather writers will come in very handy. We also needed a substantial funnel system with the run being held on the promenade.

Everyone at Stokes Bay wishes Ray all the best with the setting up of the junior event on the Isle of Wight.’