I am arranging an evening WGEL Dinner in our clubhouse at Ashton Playing Fields on Saturday 3rd November. The night will be presided over by outgoing club President Terry McCarthy.

It will be a three course meal with choices available for each course. Tickets available to family and friends of club members and associates of the club also.

The previous club dinners in the clubhouse that I have arranged have proved very popular with good food, a relaxed atmosphere for conversation and some fund raising for the club.

Further information regarding ticket cost, meal choices and booking to follow very soon but by all means drop me an email in advance if you would be interested in coming along.

Please save the date in your calendars and diaries.

Thank you for your support of the club.

Keith Newton (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

On Saturday our Young Athletes enjoyed a break from their normal training regimes and the start of the winter season with a fun time at Adventure Island in Southend. The YAs certainly let their hair down, so to speak, pushing their bodies up, down and even sideways with those fast rides and, on top of this, filling their bodies with good, old traditional seaside food like popcorn, candy floss, doughnuts and hot dogs, not forgetting those big slush puppies and ice creams. It was so good to see smiles on their faces and hearing those screams (all good though). Whilst this was happening some of the team leaders decided to take a scroll along the world's longest pleasure beach pier, all 1.33 miles of it. All in all a great day was had by all.

Sunday 2nd September saw a welcome new event at our Ashton clubhouse - a Volunteer BBQ. This was the brainchild of Susan Edwards, who was appointed to be our first Volunteer Coordinator earlier this year. Susan felt that the club should show its gratitude to the many people who help out throughout the year in all sorts of unsung capacities.

A surprise appearance: the ice-cream van!

The club only started to acquire actual barbecues last summer, but now we have three of them, including one for vegetarian cooking. They have proven popular from the word Go.

The club has been shortlisted for the England Athletics/London Region Club of the Year Award. The awards ceremony will be held at the Crowne Plaza Kensington on 1st October.

Our bid described, in particular, our young athletes' multiple successes over the last 12 months, our continued senior success at national level, and our commitment to expanding our volunteer base.

On Saturday Canaan Solomon received the Keith Wilson Bursary for Best U23 1500m Performance of the Season. This was a one-off award presented by the family of Keith Wilson to mark his 80th birthday. Keith ran for us in the 1950s, specialising in the 800/1500, but also winning Essex gold over 400mH on one occasion when he deprived John Hayward of the title. Keith is currently alive and well in Torquay and fondly remembers training under Ron Bowden with John Baker, Alan Wiseman and Dave Stearns.

Canaan ran 3:48.82 at a Brighton BMC in May. The award also recognises the fine season he has had over 800m, where he lowered his PB by 1.8 seconds to 1:47.12 and finished 6th in the British Championships.

Canaan receives his award from Club President Terry McCarthy