Special Plean parkrun marks NHS milestone

One of hundreds of parkruns being held around Britain – to mark the 70th anniversary of the NHS – is to be held tomorrow (Saturday) at Plean Country Park.

The initiative is to recognise the contribution of the NHS to the health of the nation and inspire people to take part in physical activity and volunteering.

Plean parkrun is a free five kilometre event that takes place every Saturday at 9:30am. It is open to walkers and runners of all ages and abilities and is coordinated entirely by volunteers from the local community.

This weekend Plean parkrunners are being encouraged to come along and show their appreciation of the work the NHS does.

Doctors, consultants, A&E staff and retired NHS staff are among those taking part.

Runners are being encouraged to dress up with an NHS theme - either as a doctor, nurse or some other association to the NHS.

Plean parkrun event director Jackie Stewart, said: “We have a large number of NHS staff who are filling most of our volunteer roles. They will be doing all the roles such as marshals, timekeepers and barcode scanners.

“We would love to see as many NHS staff as possible on the day, to walk, run, volunteer or simply receive a well earned round of applause for the incredible contribution they make to our community.”

Dr Katie Robertson, clinical director for laboratories and radiology at NHS Forth Valley, said:“This is a great opportunity to showcase the dedication of our NHS staff to maintaining health and wellbeing for all.

“Exercise is a key factor in establishing and maintaining a long and healthy life.

“This event, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the NHS, is an excellent example of how we can come together as families, friends, colleagues and communities, to participate in healthy exercise together, encouraging one another to stay fit and well while also recognising that social interaction and participation in your community is equally important too.”