As some of you will be aware, the club decided not to request annual subs on April 1st, given the Covid-19 restrictions imposed on March 23rd, and the lack of clarity as to when coaching and competition might resume. At the same time, England Athletics announced an extension to existing athlete registrations, such that anyone with an active registration on March 31st would continue to be registered until the end of August.
On the competition front, it is now clear that opportunities for track & field competition will be almost non-existent this season, and there is still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the road and cross country programme from autumn onwards.
On the coaching front, the club is very grateful to those coaches who have been able to resume some training sessions, working in the recommended ratio of one coach to five athletes. Everyone Active have given no date for re-opening of the track, but Bob Densley is working very hard to obtain permission for the club to run limited sessions for club members. A separate announcement will be made on this in due course.
For all these reasons, the Committee has decided to waive subs for 2020-21, but please note the following important points:
1. Anyone aged 11+ who wishes to compete from the beginning of September 2020 until the end of March 2021 will need to pay £15 to cover their England Athletics registration fee. The club’s bank details are on the website: https://esm.org.uk/membership/. Please scroll to the foot of the page and follow the same procedure described for subs payments. (If you want to check the status of your registration, just log into your England Athletics profile: www.englandathletics.org/myprofile).
2. If you are willing and able to pay more than £15, it will be a very tax-efficient way to donate to the club, as it will be eligible for Gift Aid.
3. If you have already paid your subs in full, and would like them refunded, please email fiona@esm.org.uk with your bank details. (Please note the £15 registration fee is not refundable).
If you have questions on any of the above, please email fiona@esm.org.uk. In the meantime, thanks to all our members, coaches and club officers for their perseverance and positive outlook during this difficult time.