Volunteering
The club is 100% run by volunteers. Everyone from the coaches to the committee to marshals at club events and the person blowing up balloons at the Summer Party is a volunteer. We encourage each member of the club to volunteer to do something at least twice a year.
There are many and varied ways in which you can get involved and help the club. To encourage everyone to get involved, we are setting up a Volunteer Rewards Scheme wherby each time you volunteer you will earn a point that counts towards a reward (to be revealed soon).
Some of the more common volunteering opportunities are detailed below.
Club run volunteers
Club run leads
Each of our Monday and Wednesday 7.30pm club runs has a designated Club Run Lead to welcome everyone, make announcements and generally co-ordinate the session. You are not expected to physically be at the front of the pack. If you are leading a club run, you will be expected to:
Wear Eagles kit to club runs where possible, so that new and potential members can identify you.
Carry a mobile phone so that you can be in communication with the tail runners in an emergency
Arrive 10 minutes before the run gets underway to ask if there are any new members present or potential members trying out a club run, make them feel welcome and explain the route to them. If you can, try to match them up with a similar paced runner.
Ensure that there are tail runners available for the short and long club runs (exchange mobile numbers with them) and introduce them to those present
Make relevant club announcements to the group. In the winter, remind everyone to wear hi vis!
Remain back at the run meeting point after the run until everyone, including the tail runners, is back.
When conditions are appropriate, lead a simple set of cool down stretches (or arrange for a fellow Eagle to manage the stretches). Click here to access suggested stretches from British Athletics. Depending on the size of the group and your arrangements with the tail runners, you may schedule stretches when most people have arrive
To volunteer to lead club run, head to the Schedule in the Training section to choose your dates! Please also send us an email to coaching@ealingeagles.com so we can add you to the email distribution list for any information about club run leading and the information sheet about new and potential members coming to club run for the first time.
Club run tails
Tail running is a popular way to volunteer and we ask all members to do this a few times each year. As the tail runner for club run, you will be expected to:
Wear Eagles kit to club runs where possible, so that new and potential members can identify you.
Carry a mobile phone so that you can be in communication with the club run lead in an emergency
Arrive a few minutes before the start and identify yourself to the club run lead (exchange mobile numbers)
Run at the back of either the long or short club run, at the pace of the slowest runner (if you yourself are the slowest runner, it is OK to run at your own pace - you are still fulfilling an important function by making sure that no-one is injured or lost on the route).
If you are tail running the long run and find yourself catching up with those at the back of the pack, check with each runner whether they are doing the long or short route, so that no-one is left behind.
Ensure all runners of your route finish safely and don't get lost.
Take a mental note of anyone who tells you they are going to stop before the end of the route, or take an alternative route home.
If you are the tail runner, you must complete the whole route! The run leader will be expecting you back at Ealing Green to signify that all runners from your route are back safely.
Encourage any new or potential members or recent Beginners’ graduates, who might not be as confident in their running as established members.
To volunteer to tail club run, head to the Schedule in the Training section to choose your dates! Please also send us an email to coaching@ealingeagles.com so we can add you to the email distribution list for any information about club run organisation.
Ealing Eagles 10k
The club's showcase event relies on the generous time given up by the organising committee in the build-up to the event and on dozens of volunteers on the day itself. Many clubs don't allow their runners to enter their own club event, making volunteering mandatory, but we like that club members make up their own mind as to how they take part on the day.
More information will be supplied closer to the date which is likely to be May 2023.
Beginners Programme
The club always attracts a large number of runners to the Beginners Programme throughout the year. As well as having a few regular qualified run leaders, a number of members are required to accompany the groups of beginners, offering advice and encouragement as well as motivating these new or returning runners. No previous coaching experience is necessary, just an approachable manner and a desire to help others enjoy running.
To make sure it's safe and effective, the Beginners Programme can only operate when there are enough volunteers to help out. For this reason there may be breaks in the intake start dates through the year. In normal years, likely start dates are:
after Ealing Half Marathon (end of Sept / beginning of October)
in the New Year (beginning of January)
after the Easter school holidays (end of April / beginning of May)
Contact beginners@ealingeagles.com if you would like to help or are interested in gaining the run leader qualification.
Intervals / Hills
The club currently offers regular intervals and hills sessions (Mondays at 10am, Tuesday and Thursday evenings) which are co-ordinated by members with qualifications (Leader / Coach in Running Fitness LiRF / CiRF).
Volunteers are also always welcome to assist at specific sessions. Contact coaching@ealingeagles.com if you would like to help or are interested in gaining a coaching qualification.
Sunday League (Watford)
As part of competing in the Sunday Cross Country League, Ealing Eagles co-hosts the fixture run at Cassiobury Park in Watford. It is a fabulous course. However, if you aren’t running we are looking to provide about 10 marshalls to help alongside those provided by Watford Joggers.
Race is 10km and starts at 10:30am. Marshals need to be there by 9.45 pls.
The 2023 race takes place on Sunday 19th February. If you are interested in getting involved, please email xc@ealingeagles.com or check out the Facebook event page.
Met League
Ealing Eagles is expected to provide two volunteers for each event (irrespective of where it is hosted) and there are five meetings in the season. In addition, the organising clubs for the two local events (Wormwood Scrubs and Uxbridge) ask for our help with volunteer marshalls. If you are interested in getting involved, please email xc@ealingeagles.com
Middlesex XC Champs
All local clubs are asked for help with volunteers. If you are interested in getting involved, please email xc@ealingeagles.com
Skills & Talents
Are you a whizz with websites? A budding photographer? Know a lot about event planning? If you think you have a skill or talent which would be of use to the club, let us know. It really could be anything - you'd be amazed how many jobs need to be done to keep the club running! Contact info@ealingeagles.com if you think you can help.