ORGANISATION

Poole Runners juniors have a sub-committee which sits every two months. These meetings are open to all parents who wish to come along.

Rupert Pepper founded the juniors in 1995 and is now officially the Head Coach and the juniors’ Sub-Committee Chairman. He tends to run the some of the teams as well at matches.

There are several club officers who also attend these meetings.  Anne Cheney is our Membership Secretary and she sorts out all the membership fees, giving out the free starter packs when people join, counts the subs every Saturday and does a bit of coaching, usually of the very youngsters.  She even runs a bit herself and got a medal at the Dorset county track champs last May.

We also have a Schools’ Liaison Officer. She is Eirian Turner.  She is a supply teacher and knows a lot of the schools around.  She also has a pair of children keen on all sorts of running and her husband is a Level Two sprints coach.  Rumour has it she may do a bit of running herself this year.  It is however at the moment just a rumour.

There are some parents who also have agreed to be school contacts.  These are for schools that Eirian doesn’t know very well and they keep the schools in contact with how the club and their pupils are doing.

The final two junior’s officers are Dave and Jill.  They are the club’s Child Care Officers.  One of these is male and one is female.  Their telephone number is on the top of all the letters the children get.  Both are members of the club in their own right but neither has children with the juniors.  Dave is the club chairman and Jill is "just" a runner and a police officer as well.

We have ten qualified coaches and others who are qualified volunteers.

Rupert is a Level Three Middle Distance Coach.  He has been Dorset steeplechase Champion.  He also takes the warm ups for the entire group on club nights.  He looks forward to developing as a hurdles coach as well.

Les Turner is the club’s Level Three sprints coach and also does a bit of throwing teaching as well.  He was the 2000 veteran men’s Dorset 100m champion, he is a mean shot putter as well.

The pair work as a team and fully endorse Team-Coaching for youngsters.  Both encourage all youngsters to do a variety of events, certainly in the under 13 and under 15 age groups.  They also combine to coach the club’s hurdlers.

Paul and Sue Cracknell joined the club when their daughter joined.  Both are Level Two coaches.  Paul coaches the throws and Sue does the jumps.  Sue is also usually found looking after the under 11's group at the group session on Saturdays.

Pete Hunt:  Pete is a bit of a fast boy over a short distance.  He often assists the middle distance group and often acts as the pacemaker when he can keep up.

Not qualified we also have:

Alan Lewis:  Alan has been coaching the horizontal jumps for years.  He is himself a keen long distance runner and steeplechaser.  He ran the London Marathon and then the next week took part in the 400m hurdles for the club in the SWAL.

Mike Phillips:  Mike is a footballing referee who helps when his son Nick is training.  He coaches the heavy throws and helps with the middle distance and circuits if needed.

Rod Wiltshire: Rod has three children, the eldest Becky was county 100m champion.  He helps Les in the sprints and Alan with the jumps.

Anne and Mike Cheney:  Anne is already very busy but volunteered to take the Level One coaching course.  She often helps to look after the younger group as an escort.  Mike works away but helps when he can.  He is likely to do a bit of everything.

Jennie Sykes has a son and daughter who belong to the club.  She used to be a thrower and an athlete, her children's' interest has rekindled her own.  She has started running, managing a nifty three miles recently and can throw a bit as well.

The club also has 3 qualified track officials and 11 field officials.

Top of Page