# Council votes to charge Parkrun for Little Stoke event



## Northerner (Apr 13, 2016)

A council has voted to become the first in the world to charge Parkrun a fee for the use of its grounds.

Hundreds take part in two free, timed runs organised by Parkrun UK in Little Stoke Park, near Bristol, on Saturdays.

Stoke Gifford Parish Council said it was "unfair" to expect non-running residents to pay for path upkeep. It voted six to four in favour of charges.

Event co-director, Becky Bushnell, said the result meant the Little Stoke event would end.

She said it was "now a question of how much notice the council gives us".

In a statement issued prior to the vote, the council said it did not want to discourage use of the park for exercise, but it would be "unfair" to expect residents to foot the bill for an event with "paid directors, fundraisers and sponsors".

At Tuesday's meeting, parish council chair Ernie Brown said: "People can come here any time they like".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-36030582

Very sad decision  parkrun is a brilliant idea and should be supported by the council, not penalised


----------



## Copepod (Apr 13, 2016)

There's lots about this on social media, among parkrunners. Council don't seem to understand that most not for profit ornganisation have paid directors. fundraisers and sponsors. They want parkrun to apply for grants to cover £1 per adult runner levy. 

In general, community support for parkruns is high. Two recent examples from my experience:
Two weeks ago, I ran at the 3rd anniversary of a parkrun in Leeds, which was very helpful to me finding my way in a new city. After the run, we went to a local church for tea, coffee and food, some provided by local bakeries and supermarkets, plus cakes made by runners. Last Saturday, due to working in the area, I ran at another parkrun, near my old home in Cambridgeshire, where National Trust is very supportive of parkrun, through a mutually benefical relationship, with NT getting prking fees and cafe money.


----------



## Robin (Apr 13, 2016)

This is my nephew's local park run. In fact one of the pairs of hairy legs on the right hand side of the bottom picture belong to him!


----------



## Northerner (Apr 13, 2016)

Hehe!  Sounds funny, but if this government gets another term, might not be far from the truth... 

http://newsthump.com/2016/04/13/par...-premium-slide-and-a-members-only-roundabout/

There's a petition on change.org - sign and share! 

https://www.change.org/p/stoke-gifford-parish-council-keep-little-stoke-parkrun-in-little-stoke-park


----------



## Robin (Apr 13, 2016)

Northerner said:


> Hehe!  Sounds funny, but if this government gets another term, might not be far from the truth...
> 
> http://newsthump.com/2016/04/13/par...-premium-slide-and-a-members-only-roundabout/


Eek! I hope it doesn't give any councils ideas!


----------



## Copepod (Apr 13, 2016)

Northerner said:


> Hehe!  Sounds funny, but if this government gets another term, might not be far from the truth...
> 
> http://newsthump.com/2016/04/13/par...-premium-slide-and-a-members-only-roundabout/
> 
> ...


Signed petition weeks ago. More signatures, especially with reasons, are very important. Please consider signing. Plus, one of the best actions you can take is to take part in any parkrun, whichever is most convenient to you.


----------



## Austin Mini (Apr 13, 2016)

Football clubs have to pay to use our park and its facilities.


----------



## Northerner (Apr 13, 2016)

Austin Mini said:


> Football clubs have to pay to use our park and its facilities.


Footballers don't run round the paths that are specifically there, in a park, for people to run, walk or cycle around, they tend to run around in studded boots churning up large areas of grass


----------



## Diabeticliberty (Apr 13, 2016)

Obesity crisis??? My hairy a**e. I think that I might start charging my local council for sorting out all of my decaying waste into the silly little bags and boxes that they keep launching at me so that they claim government subsidies for being a responsible recycling council while at the same time selling my waste. If my initial comment sounds bit like Jim Royle, it was meant to. The Park Run organisation allow people to run with them free of charge. They would now be expected to charge people for running in the parks that they are paying community charges to fund already. I think that this sinks to an all time new low level of cynicism. The air that I am currently inhaling is passing through St. Helens airspace. Perhaps my council might now start charging me for that too?


----------



## trophywench (Apr 13, 2016)

Diabeticliberty said:


> The air that I am currently inhaling is passing through St. Helens airspace. Perhaps my council might now start charging me for that too?



Good point - though the runners should pay more than me, since they'll need to breathe more in.

And Little Stoke Parish Council ought to be fined anyway, for adding excessively to Global Warming, in consideration of all the Hot Air they exhale.


----------



## Copepod (Apr 13, 2016)

Austin Mini said:


> Football clubs have to pay to use our park and its facilities.


Football clubs have exclusive use of the pitches (plus changing rooms if there are any) when they pay to use. Runners taking part in parkruns are briefed to give way to other park users, but anyway, they never use ever path in a park, so anyone wanting to walk, exercise dogs, use scooters etc can continue to do so for the approx 60 minutes from 0850 to 0950 when people are setting up course markers, briefing, running and removing course markers. When parkrunners' feet have damaged grass, race directors have worked with park organisation to adjust course eg Wimpole estate, owened by National Trust, had to use a different flat route, when hilly route got a bit muddy, to allow ground to recover.


----------



## Amigo (Apr 13, 2016)

How does this charging stack up when the NHS are considering paying for 100,000 obese people to receive personal trainers to stave off diabeties (which naturally absolutely EVERY overweight person in the country will get!)


----------



## HOBIE (Apr 13, 2016)

There are Football pitches all over the place. My son plays but he is the only one in the family that does. If I wanted to have a run in the park I would NOT expect to be charged ?


----------



## robert@fm (Apr 13, 2016)

BBC take on this story.

It contains one bit of wildly unfounded speculation:


> Parkrun is a business. Registered company. It has Directors who are presumably paid.
> 
> Parks are for personal recreation. If something is not for personal use then in is commercial. If a circus used the council property they would be charged for the facilities. Parkrun should factor in the event cost and pay up. It really is that simple.



Nonsense. Most charities are registered companies with "directors" instead of trustees (I myself was listed at Companies House as a director for this reason) — for the simple legal reason that if the charity should fail, however spectacularly, the trustees will only be personally liable for a small amount. It does *not* follow that they are employed, much less paid.

The second part of the above quote is the classic Fallacy of False Dilemma; the idiot failed to realise that charities such as Parkrun are neither personal _nor_ commercial.


----------



## KookyCat (Apr 13, 2016)

If all 300 or so folk turn up every week as individuals and bring a stopwatch, what will they do?  If they decide one will be a marshal what then?  Absolutely nothing is what because that's personal use.  If parkrun isn't involved they can't be sued and they're not going to mount an assault on horseback are they, can't charge 300 individuals with a public order offence...well actually you can because the last time the Tories were in power they managed to get anti congregation laws through, but it'd be hard to prove that all 300 individuals were causing a public menace by gently jogging along a footpath.....I can see it now, get the CS cannisters lads, they've got Nikes (or any other reputable brand of trainers) and they're not afraid to use them.

Wouldn't  it be delightful if all the runners from various locations individually decided to turn up to that very park for a jolly good independent run with their very own stopwatches?  Perhaps they could suggest the NHS pay for the upkeep of the park, like the money they pay to councils for social care that gets used for, what was it, oh yes, anything they like.  It's no wonder they're one of the richest councils in the land is it.


----------



## Copepod (Apr 13, 2016)

There will be no parkrun at Little Stoke this Saturday. The advice given by parkrun is to attend your local parkrun, as either a runner or volunteer, and, as long as you have registered and your barcode is scanned, you will help to make this perhaps the biggest ever parkrun attendance record in the UK / world. I'll be running, assuming I finish my morning tasks in time. I just haven't decided where yet, as I'm working away from home, so it's tempting to run at a parkrun I've not done before.


----------



## HOBIE (Apr 13, 2016)

Copepod said:


> There will be no parkrun at Little Stoke this Saturday. The advice given by parkrun is to attend your local parkrun, as either a runner or volunteer, and, as long as you have registered and your barcode is scanned, you will help to make this perhaps the biggest ever parkrun attendance record in the UK / world. I'll be running, assuming I finish my morning tasks in time. I just haven't decided where yet, as I'm working away from home, so it's tempting to run at a parkrun I've not done before.


Go for it Copepod


----------



## Copepod (Apr 13, 2016)

What about you, HOBIE? And everyone else? No need to run all the 5km, as many people start by alternating walking / jogging / running.


----------



## HOBIE (Apr 13, 2016)

I love my cycling but as an Electrian am always on my hands & knees doing sockets. Knees like carpet fitters so don't like the pounding off running. I know I could catch the bus but a not a runner . (will see if there is one near me)


----------



## Matt Cycle (Apr 13, 2016)

I've done marshalling at a few as my OH and the children have taken part.  I prefer turning my pedals.


----------



## Copepod (Apr 13, 2016)

HOBIE said:


> I love my cycling but as an Electrian am always on my hands & knees doing sockets. Knees like carpet fitters so don't like the pounding off running. I know I could catch the bus but a not a runner . (will see if there is one near me)



Have a look at course description - some parkruns  are on paved paths, others on trails of soil / bark chippings etc, or combinations of surfaces, including bridges. I've only done one in North East England, at Whitley Bay, which was combination of paved promenade, sandy trails, pavements etc.


----------



## HOBIE (Apr 13, 2016)

Have just looked them with Google. Ncle/ S/land & G/head. Will see which one suits thank you Copepod


----------



## Copepod (Apr 16, 2016)

Very pleased to be one of many parkrunners this morning. Looking forward to getting my time, plus statistics for numbers of parkrunners throughout UK.


----------

