London Frontrunners were awarded runner-up in the Club of the Year award at the 2021 England Athletics Volunteer Awards. Club co-president Nas, who was at the awards ceremony, tells us what it means to the club.
What does it mean to be runner-up in the Club of the Year award?
It’s a huge privilege and feels very special that our members voted for us.
We take pride in being a friendly, inclusive and welcoming club which provides opportunities for new runners and triathletes as well as the more seasoned athletes.
The award shows that our members really value the club and the opportunities on offer.
It also recognises the contribution of our hard-working, passionate and enthusiastic volunteers.
Why do London Frontrunners deserve this recognition?
We’re a huge club with over 550 members and we’re extremely active.
There are so many activities to get involved in – regular weekday runs, run coaching, trail runs, run and triathlon trips, organised cycles and races. The list goes on! This is all made possible by our volunteers.
But it’s not only a sports club.
London Frontrunners provides a safe space for people to be themselves, meet friends and be part of the wider LGBT+ community.
Even when we couldn’t physically run together during lockdown, there were lots of activities and online socials to make sure people felt supported and connected to one and other.
What difference do volunteers make to London Frontrunners?
They make all the difference!
The club wouldn’t be able to function without its volunteers. There are so many people involved in the club in different ways, who contribute to its smooth running and ensure the club provides its members with lots of different activities to get involved in.
Not only do we have volunteers on the committee, but we also have those behind the scenes like the web team, our trail run team, our run and triathlon coaches, the cross country captains and the international trip committee.
What have been some of the highlights of the last 12 months?
Being runner-up for this award is definitely a highlight.
The Big Half in March 2021 was also amazing. We had 170 London Frontrunners taking part and it was great to be able to run together as a club after lockdown.
It’s been a tough year due to the pandemic but the club has come back stronger. All our activities are back up and running, we have lots of new members and we even have a new run at Greenwich Park.
What are your hopes for the next 12 months?
A key commitment for us as a club is diversity and inclusion.
I’d like to see us continue to build on our work in the next 12 months to break down barriers to joining London Frontrunners and to ensure the club is as inclusive as possible and a safe space for everyone.
In addition to this, our triathlon coaches – Emily and Alex – have worked hard to develop the triathlon arm of the club. London Frontrunners Tri is getting bigger and bigger and I’m really excited to see this expand further in the next year, especially with some new funding we’ve secured.