Chair's Update

September 2021

We thought it would be useful to let you know what we are doing as a committee to take our club forwards now that lockdowns have (hopefully) finished. This is your club and the committee does its best to reflect the views of members but we do need your feedback. The best way is to speak to a committee member on club night but you can always message us too.

We have 122 members and are affiliated to both England Athletics and more recently the ARC (Association of Running Clubs). The ARC is a no frills organisation aimed at running clubs such as ours however we are keeping the EA option for the present. Both memberships provide us with insurance, welfare guidance and race permits. EA offers additional training courses for a fee.

Our Run Leaders have been key to keeping our club going over the last 18 months and I am especially grateful to them for their commitment. We have a number of new volunteers who will be taking groups over the coming months (and giving some of the leaders a well earned rest!), and we are currently working on induction and training plans for them. I am sure you will give them your usual support and enthusiasm.

Following the experience of lockdown, we have been asked if run leaders will run groups on different days or difference times. We are keen to re-establish the Wednesday night “club night” since this has always been the core of the club, so we would encourage anyone who can to come along to the Pannier Market on Wednesdays. Clearly Run Leaders and other members may continue to run informal sessions at other times. We will keep this under review and in particular once the evenings become lighter more out of town sessions may again be planned. Meanwhile we hope to organise another Couch to 5k over the coming months.

As you may know we chose not to put on the Struggle this year. Despite the hard work of the team, we did not have enough time to be confident that we could put on a race of the quality we would expect, in a wholly new location. Plans are already underway for 2022. Meanwhile the Corker should take place in February 2022, led by James Henderson who will be shouting out for volunteers over the next couple of months.

We are hoping to revive the social side of the Club now that some normality is returning, with a monthly pub night TBA and you may have seen we are working on plans for the Christmas Party. Our AGM will be held after club on 10 November. All the current committee are willing to stand again but that does not prevent other members coming forward for election in their place. The Committee is limited to eight. Please let me know if you want to be put forward. We are also looking for a new Men’s vice captain; please let Paul Cooke know if you are interested in helping him.

Happy running

Tony