ONE of Cumbria’s fastest growing running clubs has bid farewell to soggy cross county meetings – after securing funding for a special events tent.
Members of Leven Valley AC had until recently been forced to face the elements before and after races every time they competed.
But now they have a warm and dry base in which to get changed and wait for their race, after local charitable trust, the Hornby Foundation, stepped in.
Kim Everett is the club’s safeguarding and welfare officer. She said: “This has made such a difference when we are competing. At this time of year, the weather can be pretty atrocious, so the tent has been very welcome. Other clubs have been saying how amazing it looks.
“The support of local businesses is so important to us. It allows us to keep the club as accessible as possible to young people and their families who want to get off the sofa and involved in an activity which gets them fit.”
Leven Valley AC trains three times a week; once in Barrow and twice in Ulverston. The club was established in late 2015 and now has more than 100 members.
John Hornby is the chairman of the Hornby Foundation. He said: “This is exactly the type of organisation which we love to help. The volunteers who run it have done a fantastic job of building membership numbers and the club has some amazing, talented runners.
“They make every effort to raise money themselves to keep costs down for their members, so it was our pleasure to be able to help by providing the grant for this tent.
“It keeps them warm, gives them a place to change and can be put up in a matter of minutes.”
Leven Valley AC to open to runners of all abilities.
