A 14-year-old Arbroath girl has become the youngest run director at the town’s West Links parkrun.
After months of training, Arbroath High School teenager Emily Petrie-Whitley made her debut in the blue vest as run director for Saturday’s five-kilometre event.
It was a family affair as she shared the key role alongside her mum, Lynn Petrie.
Emily has been volunteering at West Links for over a year and has already achieved the recognised parkrun milestone of 50 volunteer days.
Saturday was the 56th time she has volunteered and her run director debut was her 14th different volunteer role.
Community council role
And parkrun is not the only way the hard-working teenager fills her time.
Together with her friend and regular parkrun volunteer Eva Anderson she is also a youth representative on the Royal Burgh of Arbroath Community Council.
The two 14-year-olds are thought to be the youngest community councillors in the whole of Angus.
West Links parkrun director Arthur Grant said Emily’s appointment was made entirely on merit.
“This isn’t a gimmick or a one off,” he said.
“Emily’s knowledge, understanding and commitment to parkrun are outstanding and she will be a full and equal member of our run director team.
“As the role is classed as lone working, there will always be an adult alongside her for safeguarding reasons until she is 18.
“But that necessary measure apart, she won’t be treated any differently from the rest of us.
“We don’t have youth volunteers and adult volunteers at parkrun, we just have volunteers of all ages from under 10 to over 80 who work together on equal terms.”
Anyone interested in volunteering at parkrun, whether regularly or just occasionally, is invited to email the team at westlinks@parkrun.com
Photographer Paul Reid captured the West Links parkrun action.
