Volunteers Wanted
Are you interested in volunteering for Bedford and County? The club is looking for people to fill some key roles.
Club Update
This is just to let everybody know that the Bedford and County committee is actively discussing plans for 2021, including league competition, and how to get the club up and running again once the current restrictions have been eased. We would love to be in a position to give more information about the timescales for a return to training and competition. However, we are, like everybody, waiting for a government announcement. If the pattern of previous lockdowns apply, this will be followed by an England Athletics announcement, and at that point the club will be in a better position to know what it is possible for us to do, and when. In the meantime, we hope everybody is managing to stay fit and healthy, and is doing their best to prepare for competition, whenever that may be.
Volunteer Wanted - Membership Secretary
Are you interested in volunteering for Bedford and County? Michael Headley, who has been our membership secretary for some time, is stepping down, and so we are looking for somebody new to look after this side of the club.
Membership secretary is an admin, backoffice role, but it is essential for the club. It will be particularly imporant as the club tries to encourage new members (particularly youngsters) when the current restrictions are eased. It is a role that you can do in your own time. It involves maintaining a database of members, updating the England Athletics portal with our members' information, keeping stakeholders such as coaches and Team Managers up-to-date about membership changes, and also complying with Data Protection legislation. Michael also maintains the Mailchimp emailing system. There tends to be a lot of work to do in April, when annual memberships renew, and it is a little quieter at other times.
If you would like to take the role on, please contact club chairman,
Annual Christmas Handicap Results - 2020
The 40th annual running of Bedford and County's Christmas Handicap race took place between 18th and 22nd December. Due to Covid restrictions, this year's edition of the race was virtual in nature. Current Bedford and County members, young and old, and alumni from as far away as Canada and Australia ran in household bubbles, or alone with only a GPS watch for company, and emailed in their results to race organizer, Tony Forrest. The race is held in memory of Pete Dancer, a long-time Bedford and County athlete and coach who passed away in 2016, after a long battle against pancreatic cancer. 86 competitors including members of Pete's family took part - the youngest was only 6 years old, and the oldest were in their seventies. Over £1700 was raised for Pancreatic Cancer UK, and this year's results were announced via Zoom. It isn't too late to make a donation to Pancreatic Cancer if you'd like to - the Just Giving page is still open: http://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bedfordhandicap. The virtual race had joint winners: Tenny James and Rachel Humphreys.
Wheelchair Section Keeps Rolling
Bedford & County Athletics Club - Wheelchair Racing have been putting on twice weekly virtual sessions for our athletes during lockdown. Normally training would take place at Bedford International track and at Biggleswade AC track in Sandy in the absence of this the coaches have helped organise rollers for our athletes so they’re able to train indoors statically and for those that don’t have a roller the chair is set up on bricks in the garden and tethered. The sessions are held via Zoom and consist of a weekly shorter sprint session consisting of short burst and fast pushes and a longer hour and a half session designed to increase endurance.
Autumn 2020 Results Roundup
Competitive athletics and group training are both suspended during the current lockdown. However, several Bedford and County athletes managed to squeeze in some races during October. Here’s a run-down of what has been happening.
Training Currently Suspended - Statement From the Committee
"In response to Bedfordshire being placed in Tier 4, and the rapid rise in cases locally, we have decided to suspend all training activity both at the stadium and in public spaces. Please adhere to Government guidance when training on your own in public spaces. We will keep this decision under review as the situation develops."
News from the Wheelchair Section
This is Rebecca Dean - the Wheelchair section's newest recruit. Howard Darbon's group is now up to five, and doubtless will continue to grow.
Covid Secure Public Space Training
Public Space Covid Secure training returns from 30th March (the booking system is now open)
You can find the latest England Athletics guidance here: https://www.englandathletics.org/athletics-and-running/news/guidance-update-2021/
In addition to training at Bedford International Athletics Stadium, and in line with England Athletics guidance, Bedford and County offers Covid secure training in a number of selected public spaces.
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