Organisers of junior parkrun in Darlington say they have been left “devastated” after a large amount of essential equipment was accidentally thrown away, forcing them to appeal for public support.
South Park junior parkrun, a free weekly 2km event for children held every Sunday at 9am, has lost much of the kit it relies on to operate after a storage issue led to a council mix-up.
Event director Pip said the problem began earlier this year when organisers lost access to their usual storage space in the park’s clock tower.
Since then, they have been working with Darlington Borough Council to secure a lockable storage unit.
In the meantime, equipment was being kept in wheelie bins inside a park compound.
However, during the past week, one of those bins was mistakenly treated as rubbish and emptied, resulting in the loss of “a significant amount of kit”.
The incident has affected the junior parkrun, but has also impacted the town’s regular 5km Saturday parkrun.
Pip said: “We work really hard as a team to fund and find kit and losing it… Well, it’s pretty rubbish.”
Organisers Rachel and Pip, who help run both events, are now trying to replace the lost items while continuing to deliver the runs.
They are appealing for donations from the community to help fund new equipment, although they stressed they understand not everyone is able to contribute.
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Despite the setback, the team remains determined to keep the popular events going while they seek a more permanent storage solution.
Pip added: “If you know anyone at the council, all we want is a shed. We have even bought it.”
More information about South Park junior parkrun, including how to donate, can be found on the event’s website.
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