The heart of running in Templestowe

The social running club has evolved from a small group of Templestowe-based runners with a shared passion for parkrun, to more than 100 locals of all ages and abilities coming together to share their love of running at Westerfolds Park and beyond.

But like all good things, it takes more than just passion to keep these popular running sessions on the local sports calendar.

Recently the club scored a $1,990 Sporting Club Grant to help upskill its growing list of volunteer coaches keen to share their passion for running.

President of the club Dr Chris Pittock explains that Westerfoldians Inclusive Running Club is a social running group that welcomes people of all abilities and aspirations.

‘We are entirely volunteer run. The Sporting Club Grants Program supported us to have multiple trained and accredited coaches. This enables us to reduce the risk of volunteer burnout and retain skilled volunteer coaches for the longer term,’ he said.

For the coaches themselves, benefits include being more mindful runners, improved understanding of personal and athletic growth, and sharing these lessons when leading and guiding others.

The club has a formal committee and coaches that are a mix of genders and ages – including women making up 50% of the club’s coaches with the youngest coach being only 19 years old.

Dr Pittock said that thanks to the bigger pool of coaches the club has sustained its track club sessions over several years, including Wednesday nights at the Tom Kelly Athletics track in Doncaster for those looking to ramp up their running skills.

Up to 30 members now attend these sessions run by 6 or more Athletics Victoria trained coaches who run targeted and inclusive training 48 weeks of the year.

The Sporting Club Grants Program has invested more than $17.2 million into thousands of community sport and recreation clubs across the state since 2015 – just like the Westerfoldians Inclusive Running Club.

Grants of up to $1,000 are available to purchase uniforms and equipment, as well as for tools and resources to improve accessibility and engagement. Grants of up to $4,000 will assist clubs deliver a new sport or active recreation program and there’s athlete travel grants of up to $750.

Clubs keen to follow in the footsteps of the Westerfoldians Inclusive Running Club can apply for a grant of up to $5,000 to strengthen volunteering and officiating at their club.

By providing more opportunities for clubs and organisations to build on their capabilities, the program goes a long way towards future proofing grassroots sport and recreation and ensuring clubs have the skills they need.

For more information on the grants visit Sporting Club Grants Program.