England Athletics encourages all clubs and member bodies to vote at General Meeting

Last week, a formal notice of a General Meeting for the 10 June at 7.30pm at Crowne Plaza NEC, National Exhibition Centre, Pendigo Way, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1PS, was issued to members, with this reminder to vote issued today.

This General Meeting is about the Age Group changes to competitions.

Young athletes are dropping out of athletics. Statistics since 2019 show a continued decline in participation.

England Athletics is passionate about long-term development and finding solutions to stop the decline of youth participation in athletics – the future of the sport.

Based on research and athlete feedback, along with our colleagues in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, we are changing age groups of competition to allow young athletes to navigate the pathway more easily, provide more balanced competition, give athletes the opportunity to develop technically, and remove clashes between important exam years and peak athlete competition.

It is a bold step. A bold step that is required to address a big issue.

Hear from Matthew Dalton on the issue, (Chair of England Council, Chair of East Regional Council)

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For all clubs and member bodies, the support for youth competition is an integral activity to a young person's development, the rationale for supporting age group change  is clear to us and many athletes and coaches agree.

If your opinion is the same as those of the athletes, parents and coaches, we ask you to vote against the resolutions and allow us to continue to support the development of youth participation and help young athletes.