The charity behind Parkrun has written to all the major political parties to ask them not to refer to the organisation in their campaigning activities.
Third Sector revealed this morning that the Charity Commission had written to Parkrun trustees after Alistair Strathern, the Labour Party candidate in next month’s Mid-Bedfordshire by-election, posted a promotional video from a local Parkrun event.
The regulator’s guidance says charities must not endorse or promote any one political party or candidate.
It says charities “should be especially wary of associating or becoming associated in the minds of the public with a particular candidate or political party”.
A Parkrun spokesperson told Third Sector today that the charity takes its obligations to the Charity Commission “incredibly seriously”.
The charity had “no prior knowledge of this film, we have in no way endorsed it, or engaged with it and are very aware of the Charity Commission’s new guidelines for charities on social media”, the spokesperson said.
“We have written to all major political parties to respectfully request that they remind any candidates who are involved in election or by-election campaigning to refrain from referencing Parkrun, a UK-registered health charity, in their campaign activities,” the spokesperson said.
“Parkrun events take place in more than 1,000 areas of public open space across the UK each weekend, and are open to all.
“With 100,000s of people taking part every Saturday and Sunday, we can’t control who’s in the park, or what content they share.
“But we do quickly and actively take steps when we’re made aware of potential issues and are always mindful of our charitable obligations in every situation and in line with Charity Commission guidance.”