I had the honour to be elected as your President for the next two years at our AGM on 21st October 2016. I am humbled to accept this position when I see the list of past Presidents and know how much they have all contributed to the continuing success of athletics in Sussex. I will do my best to uphold that tradition, but neither I nor the Executive Committee can achieve that success unless we have sufficient people to share the workload.
You will all be aware that our County Track & Field Championships are under threat unless we can find a person, or a team of people, to take on the organisation of this event now that Keith May has stepped down after eight years of doing the job so magnificently. It is imperative that this post is filled by the end of the year to ensure that the Championships take place in 2017. Two people from Brighton & Hove AC have already volunteered, but we really need two more to make the workload easier. For a résumé about the role please contact the Administrator by email.
Help is also required in several posts i.e. Officials Availability, Under 15 Boys & Girls and Senior Men & Women Team Managers. As an Official myself I know how important every job is to the smooth running of events and that without new officials and if posts are not filled it will be the athletes who suffer as events will not happen and athletes may be denied the opportunity to take part in the best competitions in and out of the County.
All posts are voluntary and I throw out this challenge to ALL Clubs affiliated to Sussex CAA. Please look at what contribution your Club currently makes to the organisation and running of events in Sussex from Track & Field, Road and Cross-country to Race Walking and all the behind the scenes posts, particularly the vacancy mentioned above. If the answer is nothing or very little, decide how you can change that situation to ensure that Sussex County Athletics Association and all the Clubs affiliated to it can continue to thrive and prosper for many more years to come.
Yours in sport,
Roland Garrad
If you have any queries or want more information regarding this post, please Email Melanie Anning