The organisers of Ruddington’s Junior Parkrun have released final details about the two very special visitors coming to our Country Park this weekend.
As previously reported, Pudsey Bear and celebrity body-coach Joe Wicks will be taking part in Rushcliffe Junior Parkrun this Sunday, 13th November 2022, as part of BBC Children in Need‘s annual fundraising. However, it’s worth noting some significant changes to Ruddington’s usual weekly event for 4 to 14 year-olds.
In fact, Rushcliffe Junior Parkrun will be officially cancelled on the day – to make way for ‘Walk with Joe’. This means there is no need to register and there won’t be any finish tokens or scanning of barcodes. It’s simply a 2km walk which the whole community can get involved with.
Activities in Rushcliffe Country Park start at 8.30am, with fun promised on and off a specially built stage (pictured top), plus a ‘warm up’ with Joe.
The start and finish are both located in the large field just to the west of the lake, near the Memorial Wood.
The walk is expected to get underway at 9am and Joe will be walking the usual Junior Parkrun route followed by the opportunity for a photo-finish snap with Pudsey. Organisers expect the main walk to be finished by 10am, in time for villagers who wish to do so to head to Ruddington’s War Memorial in time for the Remembrance Parade and two minute silence.
Parents and guardians are advised that it will be a busy, public place and, therefore, under 11s will need to be accompanied by an adult at all times. You’re also asked to follow guidance from Parkrun if you’re considering bringing a dog along.
There’ll be toilets and refreshments on site, as well as a ‘MINI Big Love Bootbank’ – where you can donate running or walking gear to communities that need it most, as well as see the environmentally friendly, Oxford built, ‘MINI Electric’.
Villagers are asked to walk to the event, if possible. However, if you do need to drive, extra parking will be available on the business park as well as in our Country Park car park. This will be at Vision Express‘s Head Office on the Ruddington Fields Business Park (Mere Way NG11 6NZ. What3Words: ///lots.energetic.noise) which will be free and open from 8am. For cars which park in the Country Park car park, it will be £1 for the day, as usual.
Parkrun organisers say: “Our community of volunteers will be supporting on the day, to give everyone a warm welcome, point people in the right direction and cheer along the route. If you’d like to get involved as a marshal at the event, please get in touch by sending an email to rushcliffejuniors@parkrun.com.”
You can find out more about ‘Walk with Joe’ – including how to fundraise for a great cause – on the BBC Children in Need website >>HERE<<.
Official Children in Need day this year then follows on Friday November 18th 2022.
{Images courtesy of Rushcliffe Borough Council and BBC Children in Need}
