Alumni Voices: 'I strongly believe in the power of active citizenship'

What attracted you to study at King’s?

I always felt London was the best city in the world and growing up in Kent meant I could travel there quite quickly. The idea of studying in the capital was massively appealing.

King’s also had a great reputation and a diverse set of campuses. The course sounded wide-ranging and interesting, too, and studying at King’s meant I was reasonably close to my family.

What’s your favourite memory of your time at King’s?

The Physical Geography field trip in my second year was a definite highlight. We went to Morocco to conduct studies of rivers, trees and ecology – and got to experience the local culture. I also made so many great friends on that trip who I’m still good friends with now.

My friend’s 21st birthday celebrations in Dublin was also hugely important. That was when I met my wife, who’s also a King’s alum.

What are the key lessons you learnt at King’s?

It gave me time to find myself and work out who I was as a person. I could throw myself into different things and not be afraid of failing.

On an academic level, learning time management was essential. The person in charge of course administration instilled the importance of hitting deadlines, which is something that’s important in my current job as a project director.

You’ve won our Local Communities Impact Award. How did your journey into civic leadership begin?

I’m one of eight children and my parents always held a strong sense of community. Growing up, we were encouraged to be kind and try to make a difference where you can.

I moved to Southwark in 2011 with two friends from King’s. I worked there, I lived there, I exercised there and I loved the place. I strongly believe in the power of active citizenship. If you’re not passionate about where you live, you’re probably living in the wrong place.

You’re the Event Director at Burgess parkrun in Southwark. How did you get involved?

I started running in 2010 while I was at King’s, and I quickly became well and truly hooked. It provides me with so much in terms of mental health and physical wellbeing.

Fast-forward to 2012 and a colleague asked me if I fancied doing this thing called parkrun, an event where runners of all levels take part in 5km runs on Saturdays at 9am. I went along to the Burgess parkrun in Southwark and it was wonderful. The volunteers in charge were brilliant advocates for the community and running. It was life-changing to meet so many great people and make so many brilliant friends.

When did you become the Event Director at Burgess parkrun?

That happened in 2014. I was already volunteering and I’d met lots of the core team. It was a terrific opportunity to give something back to the sport and the community I love.

It was also a challenge because leadership never came naturally to me. I’ve always been quite a shy and introverted person. To stand up in front of 700 to 800 runners each Saturday and talk to them is something I never thought I’d be able to do.

Why is Burgess parkrun so successful?

When I started in 2012, we had about 35 people and it’s been incredible to see it grow. We now regularly attract 800 people each Saturday.

It’s a beautiful park and Southwark Council have done a great job in making it usable for a wide spectrum of local residents. We’re also a one-lap course, which is kind of unusual for a London parkrun.

One aspect that everyone involved has tried to maintain is the community feel of it. We want to remain a welcoming space that breaks down barriers to participation in an environment where people feel they can exercise or volunteer in a positive way that suits them. One of parkrun’s main values is inclusivity and it’s been great to reach so many people who may never have exercised before.

We have a fantastic team of people behind the scenes, too. It doesn’t happen without them.

You won the 2022 Southwark Stands Together Award. Can you tell us about this?

It’s an award for people who’ve made a significant contribution in the Borough and I was recognised for my decade-long involvement with Burgess parkrun. It was a wonderful day. I attended a ceremony at Southwark Cathedral and heard all these inspiring stories of what other people were doing in the area.

What’s next? Do you have any new initiatives under way?

The main organisation has set some strong goals for the future and growth, and it’s great to be a part of that. We’re looking at ways we can expand our efforts with the central parkrun practice programme, which involves encouraging GPs to prescribe parkrun for people who need it for physical or mental wellbeing.

My wife is also studying for Level 6 British Sign Language and we’re exploring ways to make running events more accessible to the deaf community.

Finally, what advice would you give to those wanting to make a positive contribution to their communities?

Find something you’re passionate about and get involved. It can take a while to find the right thing or the right people. But like-minded individuals are out there.

London can be quite an isolating city and you can be quite anonymous. But there are pockets of community and great people doing remarkable things all over the place. The most important thing is to throw yourself into something and give it a go.

Visit the King’s Distinguished Alumni Awards webpage to read our full list of winners and find out more about the awards.