A vital link in the chain of our volunteers - the Club Secretary
Our sport could not operate without the support of thousands of volunteers and hundreds of clubs. Today is International Volunteer Day and we're celebrating volunteers in today's Advent Calendar window.
England Athletics CEO Chris Jones:
Club Secretaries are the glue that keeps clubs together! They are the first point of contact for almost all communication, they ensure all club members are kept up to date with key messages and have to deal with any disputes or complaints coming from members. The role is so varied and the dedication and knowledge they have ensures the club can function effectively at all times.
One vital link in the communication between England Athletics, clubs, volunteers and athletes is the Club Secretary. We highlight one such Club Secretary - Lisa Matthews.
Lisa is Club Secretary for the Cheshire Dragons and last week was presented with England Athletics North West region's Club Leader of the Year Volunteer Award.
Lisa has been instrumental in getting the Cheshire Dragons set up, and on top of this leadership role in the club, she also coordinates 'women only' runs and leads training groups and sessions. Everyone knows that the Secretary role in any club is the most onerous and when this is coupled with the development of a new club the workload required is incredible. Cheshire Dragons was set up in February 2021 in the midst of the COVID pandemic and just as the Government's "Roadmap out of Lockdown" was initiated.
https://youtu.be/X8JSk_sqVrg
Video: Being a Club Volunteer. Watch on YouTube.
The Club has faced numerous challenges in a short period of time and throughout the challenges she has remained calm and kept all of the committee on track and focused on the tasks in hand. She has dealt with these challenges with tact, diplomacy, confidentiality and tenacity to ensure that no-one within the club feels excluded or discriminated. Those members that Lisa Meadows has supported are extremely grateful.
Club Chair Bernie Jones told us, "Lisa has also ensured that we don't just do something, but we believe in what we are doing and do it to the best possible standard, whether that is developing our club standards or just the format of our meetings, recording of them and managing the actions agreed, Lisa is always at the forefront leading by example."
To find out more about the role of a club secretary, visit Club Hub.
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Don't forget that new content is added to our Christmas advent calendar every single day.
- Click here to check out the England Athletics advent calendar.