Operational Rules

1. PAYMENTS AND FINANCE

1. Run Bradford​ (RB) is an holistic and inclusive initiative that has been developed via the Bradford Athletics Network (BAN) to encourage greater participation in all aspects of running in and around the District.  A specific element of the initiative  to promote numbers of people new to running is being funded by Sport England via England Athletics. It has a grant that runs to April 2017 to facilitate this; the grant mainly goes to fund two co-ordinators, and this is supplemented by the funded support of the Club and Coaching Support Officer (CCSO) for North and West Yorkshire.  This project is being managed by BAN’s social enterprise arm, Sportsshare (SS).

2. As with all publicly-funded projects the grant is meant to be pump-priming, so that the project becomes self-sustaining in the future. To this end, Sportsshare (SS) is undertaking:

(i) that EA Grant money is spent only in accordance with the grant funding agreement

(ii) that all additional income raised from participants will be held and identified in the BAN account

(iii) a proportion of the income, as agreed by BAN, will be set aside for coaching development and funding support for leaders taking LiRF or similar courses

(iv) a proportion of the income, as agreed by BAN, ​may be spent by the group itself – on kit or equipment

(v) up to two-thirds of the income may be set aside for the general administration of the program​me, including promotion and social media work; collating participation figures and reporting them to the Run England site; developing new groups; and liaising with existing groups and clubs to ensure clear pathways into club membership (see below).

3. SS will work to develop running groups for RB as per the grant funding agreement, but will do so wherever possible alongside BAN clubs. To this end it envisages three financial constructions:

(i) free-standing groups created or inherited by RB and wholly managed by RB coaches and leaders – participants in such groups will pay £2 per session (plus any fees required by the hosting facility for changing rooms or showers), unless the runner is registered with a BAN club, in which case they will pay just £1 per session

(ii) groups sponsored by clubs but managed for them by SS – as above

(iii) groups entirely organised by clubs and their leaders, whereby all coaching development is the responsibility of the club and the club is responsible itself for accurate recording of participation figures to the Run England website. In such cases SS will publicise the existence of the group but the club is itself free to establish the fee structure for the group.

4. RB will operate with an itemised, clear section of the BAN bank account and provide annual reports to England Athletics and BAN. These accounts are thereby public to all BAN member clubs.

2. PATHWAYS INTO THE SPORT

1. SS, via RB, is willing to manage beginners groups on behalf of clubs​ with the club remaining the group’s “sponsor” or “mother club”. In such cases, RB will do the following:

(i) once a member has taken about 10 introductory sessions, or is otherwise fairly proficient, RB will

(a) provide information on the mother club;

(b) encourage all members of the group to become members of the mother club;

(c) make clear the many benefits of also joining the mother club – the £2 per race discount; the many “closed” events (trail series, cross-country series) only available to club members; the additional coaching support;

(d) and explain clearly how remaining a member of the group does not prevent them joining a local club, and the circumstances in which they must register for events for the club and when they can enter as a member of the group; and

(e) encourage all members of the group to take part in activities offered by the mother club.

​(ii) ​the RB group leader will maintain regular contact with the designated “Run Group” leader from the mother club.

2. Where SS, via RB, establishes a new free-standing running group, or works with an existing free-standing group, it will do the following:

(i) once a member has taken about 10 introductory sessions or is otherwise fairly proficient, RB will

(a) provide information on local clubs;

(b) encourage all members of the group to become members of a local club;

(c) make clear the many benefits of also joining a club – the £2 per race discount; the many “closed” events (trail series, cross-country series) only available to club members; the additional coaching support;

(d) and explain clearly how remaining a member of the group does not prevent them joining a local club, and the circumstances in which they must register for events for the club and when they can enter as a member of the group

​(ii) make available a list of which clubs are being recommended at each particular group.

  1. SS, via RB, will promote the following activities:

(i) ​the Monday and Wednesday sessions of the Enhanced Training programme, for all RB group leaders and suitable athletes

(ii) the various leagues in which the relevant local clubs are involved:

  1. West Yorkshire Cross-Country – Bingley, K&C, Ilkley, Wharfedale, Spenborough
  2. West Yorkshire Winter League – Baildon, Queensbury, Skipton
  3. Peco XC League – Saltaire, Eccleshill, Bradford-Airedale; also Ilkley and Wharfedale
  4. Yorkshire Vets AA – all the above
  5. Airedale Athletics Off-Road Challenge – Baildon, Queensbury, Saltaire, Eccleshill, Bradford-Airedale; but also eligible for everyone
  6. Harrogate & District Summer Road League – Ilkley
  7. Northern T&F League – Bingley, Longwood, Spenborough, Bradford-Airedale (for all the Airedale clubs)

(iii) the mass-participation events in Bradford district; the BigK 10K, Bradford 10K and Bradford CityRuns

(iv) all local parkruns

3. CLUB SUPPORT

1. In promoting the sport in these localities SS, via RB, will promote pathways to support those clubs who are members of BAN. That means Skipton AC in Craven District, Longwood and Spenborough in Kirklees District and all clubs (except Idle AC) in Bradford District.

2. The CCSO for England Athletics for North and West Yorkshire provides additional support to all EA clubs in these districts: thus, to Idle AC in Bradford, Stadium Runners, Roberttown, Denby Dale, Meltham and Huddersfield RR in Kirklees.

4. UNDER 18s​

​1. SS, via RB, will ensure that ​group leaders dealing with under-18s or vulnerable adults have received the appropriate training and had the requisite police checks.

2. SS, via RB, will encourage any under-18s to take part in activities offered by their local junior club:

(i) K&C for the Worth Valley and Craven

(ii) Bingley

(iii) Ilkley for Wharfedale

(iv) Bradford-Airedale for the area covered by the Airedale Athletics clubs (i.e., Baildon to Queensbury to Wyke)

(v) Spenborough for the Spen Valley and Dewsbury

(vi) Longwood for Huddersfield and environs.