Communications Assistant

About parkrun

parkrun is a health and wellbeing charity and our vision is to create a healthier and happier planet. Since our conception in 2004, parkrun has evolved into a global social movement with a vibrant and inclusive community at its core. As of 2026, we have recorded over 160-million instances of walking, jogging, running, and volunteering.

Our mission is to transform lives by empowering people to be active, together, outdoors in their local community; and to protect parkrun for the generations to come. Each and every weekend, we deliver free, weekly timed events that people of all ages and backgrounds can join in. By tackling barriers to participation, we encourage communities to come together and embrace regular physical activity

Now in its 22nd year, parkrun spans over 2,900 locations in 23 countries with more than 12 million people registered, and counting.

And we have really only just begun.

Brief role description:

The Communications Assistant provides creative and administrative support across parkrun’s internal and external communications. The role contributes to the planning, production, and delivery of content that reflects parkrun’s values and engages its global community. Responsibilities include managing the content schedule, designing and preparing communication assets, and ensuring that online spaces remain welcoming, inclusive, and safe. The post requires strong organisational skills, attention to detail, creativity, and a collaborative approach to working with colleagues across teams 

Main responsibilities:

Content creation, storytelling, and media: Research, draft, and produce highly engaging blogs and case studies that capture the imagination of our community. Actively spot powerful individual stories and manage them - either as standalone features, as part of broader media moments, or fundraising campaigns - obtaining appropriate permissions and working closely with our press agency.

Content and channel management, and optimisation: Maintain our central communications grid. Manage the production, design, and distribution of our newsletters, retail and fundraising emails and other internal/external emails as required. Monitor and report on performance metrics (opens, clicks, visits etc) to continuously improve engagement.

Social media management and community building: Support the management of our social media channels (including scheduling and content creation) to build a vibrant, welcoming online presence. Actively monitor and respond to comments and messages, ensuring our digital spaces are warm, supportive, and inclusive for existing parkrunners, volunteers, and prospective newcomers alike.

Basic asset design: Create visually appealing, on-brand graphics (using tools like Canva).

Community safeguarding and media management: Ensure all external communications, particularly case studies involving community members, strictly adhere to our safeguarding, consent, and data protection policies. Oversee and organise our image and media library. Ensure all photos and videos used across our communications celebrate the diversity of our community, adhere strictly to safeguarding standards and photography policies. 

Internal communications and adaptable team support: Assist in sharing internal updates to keep staff, volunteers, and key stakeholders aligned and informed. Provide flexible communications support across different projects and team objectives as organisational priorities evolve.