Press Release: Volunteers in sport celebrated at Rugby event

A celebration of volunteers in sport has been held at the home of Rugby and Northampton Athletics Club.

People from across the region gathered at the club’s athletics track at the Ken Marriott Leisure Centre, on Bruce Williams Way, in Rugby, to take part in the special event organised by David Boughey, sport volunteer coordinator for Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire, with support from the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership for the 2012 Games and Regional Action West Midlands.

Janet Wright, coaching and volunteer coordinator at Rugby and Northampton Athletics Club, said: “Without volunteers we would not have a club.

“The people behind running the club, and supporting those who participate, are all volunteers.

“People sometimes do not want to commit to a volunteering role but I would encourage people to give it a try. It is fun and it is very rewarding.”

The event, held on June 3, was the latest in a series of race nights designed to encourage youngsters to participate in sport.  Young athletes participated in a variety of activities on the night including hurdles, sprinting, javelin and high jump.

The evening was supported by Warwickshire Community and Voluntary Action who will be working with the athletics club to support their volunteers to run more activities for youngsters in the future.

One person who has benefited from the support of sports volunteers is Coventry Olympian, and lead ambassador for the Coventry and Warwickshire 2012 Partnership, David Moorcroft.

He said: “Volunteers are the backbone of British sport and without them sport would collapse in this country.

“All the greatest sports performers started with the support of volunteers and without that they would never have achieved the things they did.”

Matt Kendall, West Midlands regional sports volunteer coordinator for 2012 based at Regional Action West Midlands, said that the Olympic Games would play a key role in getting people involved in sport.

He said: “The 2012 Games will be an inspiration to thousands of people up and down the country.

“It is our job to make sure that people know where to go to get involved, and that they are well looked after when they get there.

“I hope that through my role at Regional Action West Midlands we can build partnerships to strengthen clubs like this to attract more volunteers and offer more high quality activities to local young people.”

ENDS

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