Secretary’s Report for the AGM

Secretary’s Report for the Annual General Meeting of Kilbarchan AAC Held at the Milldale Centre, ON-X Linwood, Wednesday 23 October 2019

The report should also be read in conjunction with the published set of results on the club web site and on display at the AGM.  My thanks to all trustees, club members and volunteers for their help and support over the last year.

Club Organisation and Facilities

The elected trustees meet every 6 weeks approximately at the On-X Sports Centre, Linwood with other sub-committees meeting less regularly as required.  The elected trustee members are intimated on the agenda circulated at this AGM.

The Club road runners continue to meet on a Monday and Thursday nights from the On-X Centre where we have access to changing and showers.

We use the track at Linwood Sports Centre as our main base for track and field.  A new group has started this year “Track Stars” which is dedicated to ages 7 to 12 years on a Monday and Wednesday night and normal training on a Tuesday and Thursday nights.  A new system for collecting fees has been introduced through “class4kids” a special thanks to Robert Hawkins and Jeni Thomson for all their hard work in setting this up.

The club continues to operate a website with the domain name www.kilbarchanaac.org.uk which has been continuing since started in 1999.  We are also on Facebook and Twitter for those that use that site.

Our main achievement this year has been the coming together of the plan to build a dedicated training facility for the club at Linwood, our thanks to John Rodger who has cajoled and persuaded many to buy into this project.

Membership

The club has a healthy membership of over 500 members

Kit

We continue to stock a variety of kit which Donna Matthews looks after.  Check on the web site for details.

Coaching & Officials

This last year we had 40 coaches involved in working with club members. This consists of:

1 Level 4
4 level 3
7 level 2
6 level 1
4 Jog leaders
10 athletics leaders
8 helpers

We currently have 12 qualified scottishathletics officials.

Activities

Kilbarchan AAC is involved in lots of different activities; but not only do we have a breadth of disciplines we also have a depth.  On the one hand we have many within the club who are high achievers and on the other hand we have members who will never win any of the prizes but love to compete and do the very best they can in each and every race they enter.

Here are some highlights in the various breadth of activities we as a club take part in:

Cross County

• West District CC Reay Championships, Irvine
• The trio of Christina Rankin, Elspeth Curran and Kerry MacAngus saw off the challenge from VP Glasgow and third placed Shettleston to win well over the 3 x 4K race on the grass and sand dunes of the Beach Park.
• Lindsay’s National Short Course XC Championships, Lanark, – Jemma Reekie took her first Senior XC titles over the 4K distance and Kerry MacAngus, taking silver in the U20 Women’s race.  Bronze medals for the Snr Men’s team.  U17 Men’s race with Jack Patton (9.43) taking the silver.  A podium place for Kilbarchan U17 women’s team of winning silver.
• Lindsay’s’ scottishathletics National XC Championships, Falkirk
• Steph Twell swapped the track and the road for the hills of Callendar Park for the very first time – and it found it very much to her liking.  Competing for Kilbarchan and winning the Snr Women’s race in a time of 38.38
• U17M-6k – 1st Team: Kilbarchan (Jack Patton 5, Lewis Hannigan 7, Cameron McKenzie 13, David McNair 48)
• IAAF & Celtic Cross Country International, Dundonald – Women – 26 Kerry MacAngus SCO-U23 29:4
• Celtic Cross Country – U20M 2 Cameron Wright SCO 19:43, U17M 2 Jack Patton SCO 19:58, 12 Lewis Hannigan SCO 20:54

Roads

• Tom Scott 10 Mile Memorial Road Race
• The Women’s National title and the Granville Trophy were won by Elspeth Curran in a time of 56:00 mins.
• It was double success for the Kilbarchan ladies team winning National 10 Mile gold medals and Anna Poulton Trophy for first Women’s team, congratulations to Elspeth Curran, Christina Rankin and Catherine Stewart.
• Virgin Money London Marathon
• Callum Hawkins claimed a new Scottish Marathon Record with a superb performance in London which ended a 34-year ‘run’ for Allister Hutton.  Callum came home in 2.08.14
• “Roon the Toon” 10K, Kilmarnock
• In the ladies 10K, an excellent win for Elspeth Curran 34:18, closely followed by Gemma Rankin in second position 35:56.

Hills

• British and Irish Junior Mountain Running Championships – A gutsy performance over a demanding course to secure team silver for the U20 girls, Rhona Mowat, Anisha Badial , Rona Tytler, Lynn McKenna.
• GoatFell Hill Race – On a blustery day on Arran where the top of the hill was covered in mist, Max McFarlane was the first V70 male home with a time 3:18:45.

Track & Field

• FPSG CE Championship, Emirates Arena Glasgow
• An indoor record for Andrew Murphy in the Scottish Men’s heptathlon, with a superb performance
• Andrew, who went close to this record in the Cardiff International Meet, took his tally to 5662 points with a fine run over 1000m in the last event; surpassing the record held by Jamie Quarry(5640) – which had stood for some 20 years; it was also a Scottish Record.
• SSAA Championships, Grangemouth
• Kirsty Costello set a new UK/Scottish U17 Record in the hammer, Kirsty’s 3KG hammer throw reached out to 64.20m, her previous best was 62.85m.  Kirsty also holds the UK record for the U17 Javelin with a throw of 50.35 at Kilmarnock.
• Scottish National Championships, Grangemouth
• U20 5000 – 1 Cameron Wright 15:12.82
• Three races in eight days saw Cameron make the trek to the top of the podium three times to collect gold in the U20 1500m steeplechase, the U20 1500m and then, the U20 5000m.
• Cameron also won the Scottish U20 3000m title earlier this summer, now he is at four-in-a-row.
• European Under 23 Championships, Gavle Sweden
• Jemma Reekie has gone where no Scot has gone before … winning double gold in the 800 and 1500 metres.  Jemma becomes the first Scot to win two gold medals in individual events and the first athlete to achieve the women’s 800/1500 double in the 22-year history of the championships.
• European Junior Championships, Boras Sweden
• Praise Olatoke pushed hard in an extremely close 200m final, running 21.21 for 5^th place.  Praise was part of the of the GB 4x100m relay team.
• Westfield British Transplant Games, Newport Wales
• A brilliant day on Thursday 25^th   July for young Sam McKay, winning Bronze for his age group in the long jump at the Transplant Games.

Ultra Running

• Ring O’ Fire Ultra, Anglesea North Wales – Our ultra-runner John Kynaston finished 21st in 34:33:04 in the 135 mile ultra, held over 3 days.

Club Organised Events

• George Cumming Relay – Ladies team of Elspeth Curran, Christina Rankin and Kerry MacAngus took Gold in 44:44 well clear of Shettleston Harriers in 47:42 and Giffnock North in 49:38.  The Men’s team of Euan Gillham, Cameron Wright, Connor MacLean and Derek Hawkins also taking Gold ahead of strong Shettleston and Cambuslang Harriers teams.
• The fastest Male competitor of the day being Euan Gillham in 12:41, and for the ladies, Elspeth Curran, 14:23.
• The event doubles up as the Renfrewshire County Relay Championship and with the men and ladies also taking this title.
• Boxing Day Relays – Two teams led by Captains Ryan Waldron and Donald Petrie; with Ryan’s team coming out on top.
• Donald Crawford Cup – Connor Thomson
• Junior Santa Dash – The club’s very first Junior Santa Dash, a good response from our young athletes.
• Club Cross Country Championships – The biggest entry we have ever had at this event, results on the Club web site.
• Sustrans 5 Mile Handicap – Ryan Waldron

Special Club Awards:

Community Awards

• Arthur Smith was named as Scotland’s ‘Local Hero’ at the Scottish Sports Awards!
  ‘This year’s Local Hero is Arthur Smith! Honorary vice-president and 50-year member of Kilbarchan Amateur Athletics club, 84-year-old Arthur is still imparting a lifetime’s worth of wisdom as lead coach of the club’s girl’s endurance group. Congratulations!’
• Craig Kennedy, one of our young coaches, who was awarded Young Volunteer of the Year at the Renfrewshire Leisure Awards; very well deserved!

We assist Renfrewshire Leisure in staging schools’ events and work to try to get more athletics input into schools.

Last year we had a very full and varied programme with many outstanding performances.  Let’s hope and train for more of the same during this coming year.

Elaine Green
Secretary Kilbarchan AAC