Volunteer Voices - "Could not have been more friendly & welcoming." - Lisa Gould & Shelley Charlton

March 2025

Lisa Gould started off walking parkrun with her partner and two girls, but soon enough the whole family was volunteering! When they realised it’s run by volunteers they wanted to pitch in to help keep it going. Lisa says, “It’s a great event to help at with kids as they can get involved too; picking up cones as tailwalkers and cheering people on as marshals.”

An opportunity to connect with the community also turned into a healthy habit. “I’ve met some wonderful people and it’s also been a great motivation for me to be more active.” says Gould whose family enjoys the themed dress up parkruns and going along to the bonus Christmas Day one.

Lisa has surprised herself by how much she enjoys helping out, “I’ve actually volunteered more times than I’ve walked now!”. This volunteer spirit trickles down the generations; Lisa’s daughters now ask to volunteer, which has helped them gain responsibility and confidence.

Aside from the running, there’s the opportunity to connect with locals who come along to run, jog, walk or volunteer, as well as visiting runners all while enjoying the beautiful Te Kararo Queenstown Gardens.

Lisa encourages everyone to give it a go, “There are lots of different roles, it’s only an hour or two and you can choose when to help!”.

For Shelley Charlton, “Parkrun was supposed to be a one-off to placate a friend who would not stop talking about it. However, on receiving my first event result email, I was totally hooked!” After about 6 months of travelling and running at parkrun at various locations, she tried out volunteering once she settled in Central Otago. “To be honest, it was a little scary as I'd only done the Queenstown parkrun twice before and didn't really know anyone (yet!). But as is true with most parkruns around the world, the volunteer team could not have been more friendly and welcoming.”, says Shelley who has tried most volunteer roles by now.

Asked what her favourite ways to volunteer are, Shelly chose Run Directing and giving the First Timer's Brief, “because you get to reassure those doing their first ever parkrun that they are making the right decision.” Like many others looking to make a connection, especially in a new community, Shelley’s experience has been that, “Volunteering just makes you feel even more involved!”

To make participating and volunteering accessible to as many people as possible, parkrun are happy with weekly, monthly or casual commitment- whenever you’re available. Once you’re trained, you can volunteer at parkrun anywhere in Aotearoa or the world, an instant community connection wherever you go!

Thank you, Lisa and Shelley, for volunteering and sharing your stories with Volunteer South.
Keen to get involved? Explore parkrun volunteer opportunities here.

Written by Juliette Hicks