News

Like many Clubs SNHAC have found negotiating the path through COVID ‘ups and down’ tricky. Restricted numbers on the track have meant the Club subsidising sessions when track fees do not cover track hire costs.

Sharing equipment has been difficult (cleaning and quantity) and replacing coaches who have retired or moved in the last 18 months expensive at a time when income is lower than normal.

With the help of Hertfordshire Sports Partnership and Funding4Sport the Club submitted a funding bid to Sport England’s Return to Play Fund.

We heard today we have been successful and have been awarded funding to cover the cost of 2 Coach, 2 Coaching Assistant and 3 Athletics Leaders Courses, funding for additional Sportshall and Training equipment for our younger athletes and funds to cover some of the shortfall in track fees and PPE. This will make a big difference in the Club’s work moving forward.

A big thank you to Richard Sutcliffe at Funding for Sport, Shelley Woods at HSP and Norma Harris for their efforts and support.

The last few weekends have seen increasing numbers of SNHAC athletes out competing.

Competing in Nuneaton, Under 17 Isaac Whitten came close to beating his 1500m pb in his first race for nearly 2 years, finishing in 4.56.4 . At the same competition U13 Enid Whitten threw a pb of 5.27 in the shot.

The 25th April saw club athletes competing in Lee Valley, Loughborough, Coventry, Ashford. Pick of the performances came from U17 Jess Astill who went to the top of the UK rankings with a 300m time of 40.27. There were also pbs for Jacob Kinchin-Smith (U20 100m in 11.72 seconds), Bobb Pitman (U15 100m 13.07), Annabel Howells (U17 300m 44.23 seconds), Bhuvanesh Ramnauth (U20 400m 53.08), Delphine LehrFreund (U20 400m 60.82), Ed Laws (U20 400m Hurdles 58.30).

Competing in the Lee Valley Sprints Evening on 28th April U17 Jamie Joseph bagged pbs in both the 100M (11.7) and 200m ( 23.91).

The coming weeks will see more action from opens as athletes prepare for the league season which this year starts at the end of May.

As lockdown eases Sunday 6th June will see the delayed return of the Herts Half Marathon and 10k which all starts and finishes at Knebworth House. The routes take in not only the impressive grounds but the surrounding countryside too. The organisers have kindly offered the club 2 free places, these can be for either race. If you are interested then you must be a fully paid up 2021 SNHAC member and training regularly with the club. The places will be allocated to the first 2 people to email snhacchair@gmail.com .

In addition the organisers are also on the look out for volunteers to help marshal the event. In return for a morning's volunteering they will either give you a free place for next year or will donate £30 per marshal to the club. Marshals will be needed between approximately 7.30am and 12.30pm. Again, if you are interested please email snhacchair@gmail.com stating if you would want the free place or the donation to the club.

During the Pandemic the Club has had to change the way it has functioned for many years. Queuing to register and paying cash to use the track was no longer an option. Just before the Pandemic forced ‘lock down’ Stevenage Community Trust helped the Club find a company who were prepared to provide the Club with a Computer for the Office. Formula One Autocentres Ltd provided the Club with a reconditioned computer, monitor, mouse and then kindly set it up. This meant the Club were able to start the move to a safer more secure way of operating.

The pandemic has yet again forced the Club to review the way it operates. Taking cash and relying on a volunteer to ‘man the office’ at all sessions is no longer a viable option. England Athletics advice to all Clubs – no cash. The next move Embrace Technology!

We are now in the process of setting up an Online Shop where all Club transactions will take place. Thanks to a grant just announced from Stevenage Community Trust the Club has the funds to add a new section to the website. Hopefully by early July membership, track fees, SNHAC clothing, entries to the Club Championships, tickets for awards night will all be possible via an online shop. A card machine will be available at Home matches to pay for refreshments.

Later this year it is hoped that WiFi will be available at the stadium, making matches and photo finish easier to run.

Photo Finish, Hardship Funding, Coaching Courses, Disability Athletics Equipment have all been beneficiaries of Stevenage Community Trust generosity in the past and yet again the Trust is proving valuable support for the Club and the Community.

Christopher Westcott was delighted to be able to get back to racing on Good Friday at the St Albans 10k. The event was extremely well organised with plenty of social distancing and runners setting off in predicted finish order using a grid style. This meant very minimal overtaking through the run keeping everybody safe. Spending the Lockdown period pounding away on the cycle paths of Stevenage certainly seems to have been beneficial as he clocked a new Personal Best of 34:50, finishing in 26th place (based on chip time).