We Are Family

By Linda Moore, Wasps chairperson

Congratulations to our 2017/18 Athlete of the Year, Helen Davies; runner-up Helen Moore and most improved runner Joanne McGillicuddy – all very well deserved.

The awards were presented at our annual presentation night at Birchfield sports & social club in Widnes, when we also handed out trophies to members who’d achieved standards (from copper to diamond) for various race distances in their age groups.

We also had fun handing out some ‘Little Miss’ awards for ‘accomplishments’ outside the world of running and Stacey Clark was voted overall Little Miss Wasp by her fellow members.

And it was the perfect opportunity to thank all of the committee for their hard work to organise the night – the trophies, the food, the presentation – and their efforts throughout the year.

I think people forget sometimes that clubs don’t run themselves. We turn up go for a run and go home. We forget about the behind the scenes admin that makes it all possible.

The night was all about celebrating our successes and recognising those members who’ve worked hard to improve their running and gain those coveted standards.

We were a much smaller gathering than we were this time last year when we celebrated our 30^th anniversary. And that’s in some part a reflection of the fact that we lost a few members at the turn of the club year.

However, I’m a believer that bigger isn’t always best. We’ve seen the rapid growth of other clubs in the area, some of them with memberships in their hundreds. Imagine the headache of being the committee that has to manage a club that size?

But more importantly I prefer to run in a club where I feel like I know everyone or at the very least recognise all the faces.

There’s a phrase I hear all of the time from old, established members and also refreshingly from some of our newer members …and that is that we Wasps are a family.

I think Agata Rutkowska put it best last weekend after celebrating her 100^th parkrun: “Thank you girls for great support yesterday. I’m really happy to be part of the best club ever. Thank you my Wasps family.