As you may be aware on Wednesday 17th June 2009 England Athletics held an opening evening inviting all clubs and organisation linked to athletics in Oxfordshire to discuss the potential of creating an Athletics Network and applying to England Athletics for funding to support the establishment of this network. On the evening there where over 30 people in attendance from many clubs and organisation from around Oxfordshire.
Following on from the open evening all those clubs and partners that wish to be involved in an Oxfordshire Athletics Network Bid where requested to attend a meeting at Tilsley Park on Monday 6th July.
Each club and partner was requested to send one volunteer / officers to this meeting on behalf of their club / organisation so they could feedback any comments.

Please find attached two new leaflets from England Athletics explain how we are working with Road Running Clubs and Organisation and also how we are working with the wider athletics community.

1. Road Running - How we can support you? – This leaflet outlines six specific ways England Athletics can support
2. Run In England – What it is and how it works.

Sports club that are registered with their sport’s National Governing Body or local authority can apply for grants of up to £1,000 through the Cash 4 Clubs grants scheme. Cash 4 Clubs is a sports funding scheme which gives clubs a unique chance to apply for grants to improve facilities, purchase new equipment, gain coaching qualifications, and generally invest in the sustainability of their club. In 2008 over £30,000 was given out in grants to 30 community sports clubs across the UK. There are three tiers of grants at £250, £500 and £1,000.

Please find attached some information I thought you and your coaches, volunteers and staff may find useful on:

Athletics Competition for Young People – Leaflet for Schools, Leaders and coaches
100% ME information leaflet on Asthma and Exercise Induced Asthma

Kind regards

Scott

Scott Grace
Club and Coach Support Officer
England Athletics

Action Points
1. All clubs to undertake a SWOT Analysis and return completed exercise to Scott Grace by the end of July. - Clubs to keep SWOT Analysis brief using attached format (Thanks for this Paul)
We will use the SWOT Analysis information at our next meeting
It was also requested for other partners to undertake a SWOT Analysis
a. Oxfordshire Sports – Steve Kemp and Scott Grace to liaise with Rich Beer
b. School Sports Partnerships – Liz Purbrick to undertake a general SWOT for all of the SSP (Hope this is ok Liz)
c. Officials – Alan Vincent to lead on this

2. Second Oxfordshire Athletics Network meeting planned for Wednesday 6th August 7.00pm – 9.00pm (Venue TBC)

ATTENTION ALL SENIOR COACHES AND CLUB COACHING COORDINATORS
As the England Athletics Club and Coach Support Officer for Oxfordshire I feel it is important to work with local coaching community to gain a greater understanding of what the needs are at a local level and how England Athletics can best support these needs.

With this in mind I would like to invite you to an Oxfordshire Coach Development Meeting on Monday 27th July 2009 – 7.00pm – 9.00pm -Venue Tilsley Park
At this meeting I would like to discuss the following topics. .

• The Flying Coaches Programme in Oxfordshire
• Coach Training and Resources
• National and Local Coach Development Programmes
• Mentoring Support for Coaches in Oxfordshire

Firstly let me thank all those who attended last weeks Oxfordshire Proposed Athletics Network Open Evening.
I felt in general the night went well and that some key issue where raised.
Many people aired frustrations that they have had with various elements of the sport in the past but I also felt that some real great examples of where athletics has excelled in Oxfordshire were raised and this in part was put down to working together and communicating effectively.

The key messages I took from the night where:
 That we all need to communicate and work together much more for the benefit of athletics in Oxfordshire
 We need to appreciate each others roles in growing the sport of athletics and how working together can make this happen much quicker and much more effectively

Many of you may be aware that England Athletics are supporting the introduction 50 Athletics Networks across the country to provide local support to athletes, coaches and volunteers.
Recently Buckinghamshire was successful in gaining Athletics Network status and will receive significant funding over the next three years to support them in fully establishing the network and helping the network to become self sustaining.

What Are Athletics Network?

Please find attached below the Counties newsheet for June 2009

UKA, in conjunction with England Athletics, will host an innovative and unique conference on the morning of the Aviva London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace. The event will bring together some of the most high profile and successful female coaches in the world for a discussion on how to build a better environment for women in coaching.

Presenters include:
• Stephanie Hightower President of USA Track & Field (USATF)
• Terry Crawford Director of Track and Field California Polytechnic State University
• Amy Deem Coach to former 100m World Champion Lauryn Williams
• Liz McColgan Former Olympic silver medallist turned successful British coach.