Dear BPJ members,

We have been discussing when and how we can return to ‘normal’ club runs from Perdiswell, Riverside and the Mug as the government restrictions start to be lifted.

Club nights

We had hoped we may be able to return to normal runs on May 17th, however after working through the practical considerations to maintain a Covid Secure environment, meeting government and England Athletics guidelines, we’re in agreement that this is not yet possible.

For now, leaders will continue offering a range of pace groups throughout the week, available to book through the app. The app has been working well so far. During April, leaders put on 67 groups with 429 places taken. We’re always in need of more groups, so please get in touch if you would like to take out a group.

Old Elizabethans

We have been grateful to Freedom Leisure to have free use of Perdiswell for parking and use of showers/toilets. However, use of Perdiswell has become more difficult over the years; not having an indoor area to meet on cold winter nights and no bar to socialise after runs. Perdiswell are also using the area we previously met to run outdoor classes.

The committee have been in discussion with the board of the Old Elizabethans Cricket Club (OE’s) about a partnership that would allow us to use the venue as a base for club runs alongside the University Riverside.

OE’s is only a short distance from Perdiswell (less than a mile drive) and the partnership offers a range of benefits to members:

  • Free parking on club nights
  • Sheltered meeting place before runs
  • Use of the bar after club runs
  • Use of facilities e.g. changing rooms, showers and toilets
  • Use of the venue for social events and committee meetings

In return, the club would pay OE’s an amount based on our membership base. The amount would support the upkeep of the venue without any impact to membership fees or the club’s finances. The partnership would be reviewed on an ongoing basis. Longer term there could be opportunities to improve and expand the facilities through funding schemes, benefitting both clubs.

We’re still working through the terms of the partnership, but we hope you agree that this is a positive move that will give the Black Pear Joggers a proper ‘home’ again, bringing back more of the social atmosphere on club nights.

We’ll share further updates in due course. Please feel free to reply to this email to share your thoughts or have any questions.

All the best,

Your BPJ Committee