Keeping community at the core – West 4 Harriers
Whether a new club are just finding their feet, or they have been running for over 50 years, the common theme of athletics and running clubs up and down the country is the community they create. Shared passion, enjoyment of exercising together and helping others to succeed are what unite us. For West 4 Harriers in Chiswick, they have been at the heart of their local community for a quarter of a century, created as a spin off from the popular Polytechnic Harriers in the 1980s.
We were delighted to award West 4 Harriers a Club Improvement Fund grant, and we recently caught up with Club Secretary Jason Drake to see how they used the money to benefit their community.
Applying for the Club Improvement Fund
There are many different criteria for clubs applying for the Fund, and West 4 Harriers wanted to ensure that they were giving their members a positive and enjoyable experience right from the get go.
“We applied for the funds to contribute towards the cost of producing a short marketing video for our club website,” explained Jason. “The club caters for runners of all abilities from ages 18-70+ and we want to try and continue to expand our reach and membership further. The video will be an important tool in our recruitment of new members, helping to show the diversity and inclusivity of our club, and also what training and facilities we have on offer. We know from experience that potential members can be very nervous about joining a new club, and hope that this video will put them at ease and alleviate any fears.”
The Club Improvement Fund doesn’t just give the club their grant payment, but it also can strengthen the relationship with us at England Athletics, making us aware of any issues you may be facing and how we can offer extra support. West 4 Harriers are currently working closely with their Club Support Manager, Amy, and with her support have even been able to complete all of their seven Club Standards!
The impact of the Fund on members
Ensuring that members enjoy the sessions and the running the community remains most important. Being based in West London, the club prides itself on its inclusivity and diversity, something which has only grown in recent years.
After Covid, there has been greater uplift in the number of people running and interested in joining a club, with West 4 Harriers having seen a 10% increase in membership each year over the last couple of years. People after the pandemic were looking for a safe and welcoming environment to run and West 4 Harriers provide just that.
“We continue to welcome new runners with open arms and hopefully through word of mouth and our new marketing video showing the diversity of our community, we are hopeful that the club will continue to grow year on year.”
Managing growth sustainability
Targeting growth as a running club is fantastic, enabling more people to enjoy our sport. However, Jason is ensuing that the club does this sustainably, putting new and longstanding members of equal importance.
“We want to continue to grow in a sustainable manner that allows us to continue to deliver safe and quality training sessions for our diverse membership. If we were to grow too quickly, it may be difficult for us to lead runs and operate in the same physical training space so we are ensuring that we are also developing new leaders and adjusting training sessions at the same time.”