600 Members and counting
The club has finally reached a major milestone in our development when our 600th member signed up via PaySubsOnline. The lucky and photiogenic lad was none other than Martin Ferrie aged 8. Martin was presented with a club vest, training top and hoodie to mark the occassion and he agreed to pose for pictures which were sent out with a press release from Glasgow Life.
The below article appeared in the Evening Times on Monday the 26th of June.
Youngest runner marks Victoria Park City of Glasgow Athletic Club milestone (From Evening Times)
By Catriona Stewart
AN eight-year-old has become the 600th member of Victoria Park City of Glasgow Athletic Club - making him the newest and youngest.
Martin Ferrie has been attending the club’s Run, Jump and Throw sessions for the past three years.
And he is already a mini-celebrity on the Glasgow athletics circle after becoming the first junior to complete 100 Parkruns in Victoria Park.
After celebrating his birthday just a few weeks ago, one of Martin’s first tasks as an eight-year-old was to officially join VP-Glasgow as a full member now that he meets the minimum age requirement.
To mark the occasion, he was presented with a club vest, hoodie and training top.
Gordon Innes, Secretary of VP-Glasgow, said: “We’ve been based in Scotstoun since our formation in 1930 and we’re recognised as a strong, vibrant, inclusive and family-friendly club which is at the heart of the west of Glasgow community.
“It was a real pleasure to welcome Martin to the club as our 600th full member.
"He’s been training with us for years and has already shown a great dedication to the sport - even at such a young age.
"Working with people of all ages is very important to us as we aim to help our members develop themselves through athletics, leading not only to a better performance, but to good health throughout their lives.
“We’re grateful to Glasgow Sport for their support and understanding as we work to increase the reach of our club and ensure athletics is accessible for all.”
This landmark membership number is the highest the club has seen and is double the number of members the club had when it returned to training in Scotstoun Stadium following a refurbishment in 2010.
And it’s a story of doubles where the club is concerned.
VP-Glasgow enjoys a partnership with Glasgow Sport, meaning they can use the stadium’s athletics facilities to train four evenings a week - twice what was on offer in 2010.
The number of coaches working and volunteering with the club has also increased to double the number in the same time.
Recently awarded status as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation, the club has been going from strength to strength in recent years and, at the recent West District Track and Field Championships, members won 69 medals.
The club has also expanded its disability section to include race-running for athletes with cerebral palsy and, this year, will host events such as the Scottish Athletics Junior Championships at Scotstoun Stadium in August.
Billy Garrett, Glasgow Life’s Director of Sport and Events, said: “We’ve worked hard to ensure Victoria Park City of Glasgow Athletics Club has been able to enjoy maximum training time this year, allowing them to focus on recruiting more members and coaches.
“It’s really special to know that their 600th member was young Martin as it is a clear example of the work being carried out by grassroots organisations across the city to get as many young people as possible into sport.
“We look forward to strengthening our partnership with the Victoria Park athletes in years to come, and will continue to support the brilliant work they’re carrying out in the city.”
oun Stadium. The cost of the course was met by a grant from the Christina Gould Trust to which we are very grateful.
