Fostering real community spirit – Widnes RC celebrate 10th anniversary

One of our affiliated clubs, Widnes RC, is celebrating its tenth anniversary this month, and has thrived by fostering an infectious sense of pride and community.

Having started ten years ago with a Facebook post from the founder asking whether people would like to go for a run, Widnes have grown year on year, now with a total of 348 members, and still averaging another two new members per week. 

Their Couch to 5k programme, developed and led by Penny alongside a team of dedicated coaches (Cathy and John) and Run Leaders (Penny, Colette and Andy), brings in large numbers of new members twice a year, with over 100 signing up to their most recent edition. 81 people attended the first session, and more than 40 graduated. Many of those runners are now regular club members and taking part in races. Previous graduates of the programme also provide invaluable support in its delivery.

Another retention strategy the club has put in place is support for members who have completed the Couch to 5k programme, with a group which provides the next stage of their running journey. 

From this idea, they now have marathon and half marathon runners who started out on the Couch to 5k programme. 

A real community club 

Fran came into the sport later on in life, and joined Widnes after moving over from Ireland to be closer to his partner’s family, and soon found new family too in the form of the club.  

“Widnes has meant the world to me. It’s been my family over here, and I’ve got to be part of it and help grow it the way I think running should be done, which is as a community.” 

Fran enjoyed taking our Leadership in Running Fitness course, and says it gave him a refreshed sense of keenness: “It gives you better ideas, you always come back full of enthusiasm.” 

We visited Widnes on the evening it held a sports day, with fun events such as egg-and-spoon and three-legged races taking place for children and adults alike, as part of their tenth anniversary celebrations. 

Fran tells us that the club held a similar event a few years ago, when just 15 people attended. At this anniversary edition, there were 50 people in attendance, demonstrating the healthy growth of the club. 

From a Facebook post to 350 members in 10 years 

Jan tells us that founder member Greg started the club with a simple Facebook post ten years ago, and is proud of what the club has become since then. “We put a Facebook post up in 2016, and created ‘Widnes Runners’, just a general community, and looked for interest. Then we made it into a running club from there and formed the committee.” 

Clare, another founding member, tells a story of how Greg told people that he ‘only set the group up to get Clare some friends!’ Now, there are 350 friends, and counting. 

The club runs community initiatives such as Parkrun takeovers twice a year and ‘chip butty runs’, where runners are invited to Victoria Park to take part in a social run and enjoy a free chip sandwich from club volunteers afterwards. The idea helps normalise club running for people who might feel that joining a running club is intimidating, and Clare tells us they hope to overcome that through such initiatives. 

The club provides the race director on their Parkrun takeover days, as well as between 20 and 30 pacemakers each time.  

“You see the blue vests around the town, people beep their horn, wherever you go, you’re recognised because of the club colours.” 

Widnes has received several rounds of funding from England Athletics over the past ten years so far, utilising grants such as the Club Improvement Fund to further grow their offering. 

Volunteers catering for everyone 

Clare started off as a Run Leader, and now works in an important role strategising group sessions into six-week blocks in categories such as hill strength and speed work, explaining to members the purpose behind each session and each block, helping aid runner progression. 

“It’s going down well, we’ve had really great feedback from members. The Run Leaders get more out of it. We have regular meetings with them, two or three times a year at least, and get their input into the blocks that we run, and encourage their development to put blocks together themselves.” 

In terms of advice for other clubs looking to grow their membership base, Clare recommends holding the Couch to 5k programme regularly, encouraging non-runners to take part and join the community. 

“We cater for all paces and abilities, 8-10 different pace groups with Run Leaders. Once a month, we get everyone to wear the club top, and do the first mile together in the centre of town. We put a big splash of teal across the town.” 

A family atmosphere 

One member, Georgia, told us about how she came into the club without being already friends with anyone in it, and now calls them family. 

“I turned up, I didn’t know anyone, and it’s like you build a family – this lot are family now. I went to Parkrun once and saw a club, and just turned up. Everyone was just so nice when I turned up.” 

The support on show for Widnes runners at the Victoria Park Parkrun, which averages around 400 participants each week and is one of the fastest courses in the country, encourages people to join the club and become part of the ‘family’. 

“You start seeing people at Parkrun, and they recognise you. Now, some of us even go on holiday together.” 

Andy, a former Chairman, is now Run Director, and agrees. “It is an extended family, it really is.” 

The club runs are organised in aid of a charity each time, and Widnes often select a men’s mental health charity after one of their members sadly took his own life in 2021 – the race is now named after him, Chris Lam. Through the tragic event, members have encouraged more conversations around mental health since. 

“It was hard. I was Chair at the time, it was probably one of the worst days of my life. But seeing everyone band together, it made it slightly easier.  

“I think that’s probably why the club has such a good camaraderie at the minute, something so terrible happened, but since then we’ve had a really close-knit bond. 

“Supporting mental health charities makes the hard work of (organising) the race so worth it. 

“I’m proud to be part of this club, to have led part of it, and still to be leading part of it as well. It’s just a fantastic club to be part of.” 

A successful club built on community 

Paul is the current club Chair, and owes the continued growth of the club to the atmosphere created within it. “I think that’s the main reason the club is as successful as it has been. It’s the sense of community, it’s the support – support of everyone of all abilities. We try and make everyone feel included.” 

Joining a club doesn't have to be a daunting experience, and there is always someone there to welcome you into a friendly atmosphere like the wonderful family feel Widnes RC has created over the past ten years.