NEW FOREST RUNNERS

 

Junior Section

After a few abortive attempts to encourage youngsters to join the running scene in New Milton and with the blessing of the Town council, our own Delboy (alias Derrick Burgess) decided we should bite the bullet and form a Junior Section. His previous experiences with junior’s sports were running the Junior Football Section at Bashley FC and FC’s up North.

This section is not to be confused with New Forest Juniors who are a separate club in their own right and based in the Hythe area of the forest and cater for youngsters in that area.

I think Derrick realized that the membership was getting older and we would soon need someone to push the wheel chairs around with our elderly athletes.

Derrick founded the Junior Section in late 2003 with the blessing of the New Forest Runners Committee and New Milton Town Council. As New Forest Runners had now newly relocated to Fawcetts Field, with their greatly improved facilities, this was deemed as an ideal base for the juniors. There are now improved changing, showering and toilet facilities and with the further advantages of a 400m grass track and 900m lit Trim Trail for use during the dark winter evenings. Thanks must be given to the town council again for their support. As well as training at Fawcetts on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, the junior section also train in the New Forest at Wilverley Inclosure on every Sunday Morning.

Following UKA guidelines and advice from Christine Benning (AAAE regional Co-coordinator) we adopted into our own Child Protection Policy.

Keith Mitchell who has just recently retired as a Police Officer (Hampshire Constabulary) is now our Child Protection Officer. Prior to the formation of the Junior Section he successfully took the approved Child Protection Course.

We now have 11 UKA coaches to assist (3 – level3’s and 8-level 2) and we are recruiting approved volunteers to help and guides the junior section.

Competition

The juniors have just started competition, using the Hampshire Cross country League and the Boscombe 5k series to build up their experience.

For further information: -

Contacts: -

Derrick Burgess (Tel No. 01425 613107) - e-mail Drmburgess@btinternet.com

Rhona Goodwin (Tel No. 01425 672275) - e-mail bransgore@btinternet.com

 

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