In the shadow of child volunteers

I've blogged recently about having raised the issue of reluctant volunteers with Tom Williams.  Having just read a suggestion regarding a volunteer amnesty I remembered a suggestion that Tom made.

If I recall correctly this idea was spawned at Barrow parkrun.  The Core Team initiated a call to arms to junior participants to volunteer at a forthcoming event.  The plan was that every post, with exception of RD for obvious reasons, would be covered by children.  Now, we all know that juniors can be aged up to nineteen years and some of them not so junior in size so lets not kid ourselves that little Poppy pigtails and Norman no front teeth were to be left in charge.  Not in every post anyway.

The key was that each child would be shadowed by an adult but still left effectively to complete the task and only guided where necessary.  As far as I understand the event was as successful as any other and had no more issues than any other too.

The point of this?  Well, pretty straightforward as it goes.  This was to show the unwilling and disinclined that they needn't be so backward in coming forward to volunteer as it's no more than child's play.  If the kids are doing it then why aren't you was the question to be asked I guess.

I'm thinking that if the full starting price is to be realised then Barrow pr would be the guys to network with for the full update but it seemed like a very successful event by all accounts.  The only downside as I see is that you actually have to have twice as many volunteers if every child is shadowed by and adult in all posts.

Step from the shadows my reluctant friends as even the juniors shade you now!  Sometimes it's your turn.

Another post by Davie:
Sometimes it's your turn