2022/2023 Annual Report by welshathletics

ANNUAL REPORT 2022/2023

Jeremiah Azu breaking the 100m Welsh record. Photo Credit: Owen Morgan

CONTENTS 03 Foreword 04 Chief Executive’s Report 08 Financial Statement 10 Governance Statement 11 General Council Report 12 Equality Statement 13 Sustainability Statement 14 Safeguarding & Duty of Care 15 Our People & Culture 17 Performance & Performance Development 22 Coach Education 25 Development & Participation 28 Run Wales 30 Competition 34 Marketing & Communications 37 Partnerships 39 Officials 42 Volunteers 42 Award Recipients 43 Life Members 02

FOREWORD Steve Perks Chair of Welsh Athletics

Once again, I would like to thank all those people that play a part in the successes of our sport be they Club Volunteers, Coaches, Officials, Parents and employees - your contributions are greatly appreciated and valued. Unwaith eto, hoffwn ddiolch i’r holl bobl hynny sy’n chwarae rhan yn llwyddiannau ein camp, boed yn Wirfoddolwyr Clwb, Hyfforddwyr, Swyddogion neu’n rhieni, - mae eich cyfraniad yn cael ei werthfawrogi’n fawr.

Steve Perks Chair of Welsh Athletics

Without a doubt the world of athletics is back with a vengeance. At all levels participation seems to be getting closer to those previously seen pre Covid. Obviously, this is not true in every area but in the main we have seen an increase in numbers, this is to be congratulated and it shows the good work being made by all within the sport. The recent World Championships in Budapest saw our Welsh athletes making a positive contribution to the team effort, congratulations to each of them and hopefully they can consolidate this years’ performances with selection for Paris next year. Even though there are many positives we are facing a few uncertainties. As you can appreciate the financial pressures within society also affect our sport and the budget requirements for us to maintain our standards and to give our athletes opportunities are just as taxing. As a Board we endeavour to ensure that we use our finances to the best of our abilities, but it may mean that in the coming years we will have to make decisions that may impact on how we run the sport and how it is developed.

Heb os nac oni bai mae’r byd athletau yn ôl o ddifri’. Mae’n ymddangos bod safon y cystadlu ar nifer o lefelau yn dod yn nes at yr hyn a welwyd yn flaenorol cyn Covid. Yn amlwg, nid yw hyn yn wir ym mhob disgyblaeth, ond ar y cyfan rydym wedi gweld cynnydd mewn niferoedd, ac mae hyn i’w longyfarch, ac yn dangos y gwaith da sy’n cael ei wneud gan bawb ar bob haen o fewn y gamp. Yn ystod Pencampwriaethau’r Byd diweddar yn Budapest, gwnaeth ein hathletwyr Cymreig gyfraniad positif i ymdrech y tîm. Llongyfarchiadau i bob un ohonynt, a gobeithio y gallant atgyfnerthu eu perfformiadau eleni drwy gael eu dethol ar gyfer Paris y flwyddyn nesaf. Er bod llawer o bethau cadarnhaol, rydym hefyd yn wynebu ychydig o ansicrwydd. Fel y gallwch werthfawrogi mae’r pwysau ariannol o fewn cymdeithas hefyd yn effeithio ar ein chwaraeon, ac mae’r gofynion cyllidebol i ni gynnal ein safonau a rhoi cyfleoedd i’n hathletwyr yn anodd. Fel Bwrdd rydym yn ymdrechu i sicrhau ein bod yn defnyddio ein harian hyd eithaf ein gallu, ond gall olygu y bydd yn rhaid i ni yn y blynyddoedd i ddod wneud penderfyniadau a all effeithio ar sut rydym yn rhedeg y gamp a sut y caiff ei datblygu. 03

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT James Williams Chief Executive of Welsh Athletics

The past 12 months have seen the organisation putting the foundations in place to enable the sport to grow and flourish in an ever-changing social environment. Having spent the past few years reacting to the challenges of the pandemic, it was important to re-focus the organisation’s attention to delivering against the strategic aims established in the Autumn of 2019.

James Williams Chief Executive of Welsh Athletics

Staffing Changes The staffing structure has evolved significantly over the past 12 months, with nearly all departments having a re-design, ensuring accountability and alignment with the strategic objectives. Another key focus has been creating sustainable work programmes. For several years, the staff have been focused on operational delivery, and in many ways, became the capacity for a large number of the programmes that support the development of the sport. The biggest change is seen with the Development and Participation departments. The previous structure had been in place for over 10 years, with regional network officers being replaced by National Coordinators. Having ‘experts’ in the respective areas of Schools, Club Modernisation and Equality and Engagement will enable us to focus on key aspects within the sport. The challenge is to support clubs to take on some of the localised delivery - one way of approaching this is through the creation of focus clubs. These clubs will see a clubspecific officer in place to support localised delivery, as well as supporting crucially important areas such as coach and official recruitment. 04

Our participation programme, which is delivered through the Run Wales social running programme has been re-positioned as the Health and Wellbeing arm of Welsh Athletics. The biggest shift in approach will see the inclusion of young people within its remit. One exciting area that has begun has seen Welsh Athletics become the main delivery partner of The Daily Mile in Wales. A jointly funded role will enable us to expand the provision of the programme across every primary school in Wales in the coming years. Welsh Road Relay Photo Credit: Paul Stillman

The challenges facing UK Athletics are well documented. The 5 Athletics Governing Bodies in the UK continue to work incredibly closely to ensure that the sport is financially sustainable. Part of these discussions has led to significant changes in the way Coach and Officials education will be delivered going forward. Although the change will mean a significant annual financial outlay for Welsh Athletics, it will also give us the opportunity to re-shape the education process going forward, ensuring that it works for the officials & coaches in Wales.

this will mean encouraging all coaches and leaders across Wales to commit to ongoing CPD.

From an official perspective, we must ensure that we make the education process as smooth as possible, and where possible remove any admin burden to enable growth in new officials. For our existing officials, we must create new ways of supporting our volunteers to grow in confidence and to progress through the qualification pathway.

The financial challenges at UK Athletics will continue to have an impact on the sport in Wales. We may be required to pay for services that have previously been gifted, and additional aspects previously delivered by UK Athletics may be decentralised to the Home Countries.

Recruiting and developing coaches will continue to be a key focus for us going forward. The challenges we continue to hear from our clubs is the need to recruit new coaches and leaders. As well as recruiting, we must also develop. Sport never stands still, and we need to ensure that we create a culture of learning and collaboration –

The updated approach enables us to act on these desires, the process will not be an easy or a quick one to implement, but as a sport we can create an education process that aligns with the future direction of the sport.

What remains clear is the desire for the 5 Governing Bodies to continue to forge strong and lasting links, and we remain committed to supporting UK Athletics and the growth of the sport across the UK. I look forward to continuing to work with the CEO Jack Buckner and his team to further build on the success of the 2023 World Champs as we look ahead to the Paris Olympics and Paralympics and beyond.

Safeguarding Since the publication of the Quinlan review we have worked with the clubs to ensure that the policies and processes involved in the support are progressive and robust. We also committed to a zero-tolerance approach across the sport. Over the last 12 months, we have challenged our clubs to put safeguarding at the top of their agenda – I am delighted to say that our clubs have passed with flying colours. Close to 200 Club welfare officers have undertaken the Time 2 Listen course, and 634 coaches and 74 officials have completed the compulsory safeguarding module in the past 12 months. All staff and Board members have

also undertaken the time 2 listen training over the past few months. This work has also been recognised by Sport Wales and the CPSU, with our Level 3 safeguarding standard being retained for another year. One area that has been highlighted is the need to engage the views of our junior members – one way of achieving this will be with the relaunch of the Junior Athlete Voice group this autumn. This will enable junior participants across Wales to be directly involved with the decision- making process within the sport in Wales.

Sport Wales

Junior Membership

I have commented in previous annual reports about the changing approach to investment from Sport Wales. It had been anticipated that the sport of Athletics would benefit from the new approach, which is based directly on the outcomes of the School Sport Survey and Sport and Physical Activity Survey.

Despite seeing growth in annual membership, we continue to track below where we had hoped to be when we launched our strategy in 2019. The area of greatest focus for us going forward will be junior membership. Tomi Roberts-Jones cerebrating his win at the Commonwealth Youth Games

The sport of Athletics was the highest participation sport in both surveys, indicating that close to 500,000 people are actively participating in some form of running/Athletics activity in Wales. Despite this, Sport Wales have indicated that our funding will be reduced by £94,000 over the next 3 years. The main reduction is scheduled to occur in 2025/26, so the organisation is planning on how this is managed without impacting on our delivery, in particular the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Sport Wales has also stopped all support for the social running programme, including the contribution towards new parkrun events across Wales. This reduction in support is accounted for in the 2022/23 financial accounts. Despite the financial challenges, we continue to have positive discussions with Sport Wales across several areas. We have been successful in accessing significant levels of capital funding in recent years, and over the last 12 months, we have received £150,000 to resurface the track in Brecon – work that commenced in the summer of 2023. This builds on the grants received to support the resurfacing in Newport, Menai and Deeside facilities. Additional submissions have been put in for the current financial year. We continue to work with Sport Wales and other National agencies to support our ongoing development in governance, financial assurance, safeguarding and Anti-Doping. Through the annual assurance framework, we are continuously challenged on continuous improvement. The UKAD Anti- Doping framework has already identified potential gaps in our Articles and will lead to proposals on amendments at this year’s AGM.

It’s a challenge that is affecting the whole sports sector in Wales. As we look ahead, we must explore ways to improve engagement with the future members – this will involve improved communication and marketing. The offer for junior members will also be reviewed, ensuring that we have a competition offer that is accessible, easy to deliver and available on a local basis. Finally, we must also support clubs to ensure that they have the capacity to support growth in membership – this will be done by reviewing the coaching offer, and supporting clubs with any emerging administration challenges. It’s important that we continue to explore all options available to attract new people into our sport – even if it means evolving our rigid membership structures. We all have a duty to remove any barriers that exist to new participants in our sport.

Diversity Ensuring our sport is enjoyed by everyone is a fundamental requirement, although we have made great strides in removing barriers in our sport, it is clear that we still have plenty of work to do. The past 12 months have seen an increase in the number of para competitions being delivered in Wales, and both Senior and Junior Track and Field Championships are now fully inclusive. This was evident not just in the number but also in the quality of para-athletes that entered the recent Welsh Senior Championships. A number of Paralympic medalists competed across the two days, and this is a clear indication of the progressive relationship that is being developed with Disability Sport Wales.

At this year’s Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago, Welsh Athletics was proud to see the very first para- athletes compete for Team Wales at a Youth Games. Further history was made with Tomi RobertsJones winning the very first para medal for Team Wales in the T38 100m. We will continue to explore how we further increase opportunities for para athletes across Wales, as well as ensuring that we continue to attract a more diverse volunteer workforce in coaching and officiating.

Looking Ahead As we look forward, it is important to remember the huge impact that our sport continues to have on wider society. We remain the number one sport for participation in Wales, and our new Development and Participation structure will hopefully lead to continued growth.

Welsh Athletics and its member clubs come together to ensure our sport remains vibrant, welcoming and attractive to everyone. In order to do this, we must be brave and try new formats and ways of delivering our sport – by doing this, I am sure that we will continue to be the largest participation sport in Wales for many years to come.

As well as continuing to ensure we provide as many opportunities as possible for new participants in our sport, we must also ensure we continue to support our clubs and volunteers who remain the lifeblood of our sport. I have no doubt that the sporting landscape in Wales will continue to evolve at a tremendous rate, and it’s vital that

Ysgol Llanhari meeting former pupils Aled Davies and Rhys Williams as part of the school road trip partnership with HCC

James Williams Chief Executive

FINANCIAL STATEMENT Chris Gough Chair of Finance Sub-Group / James Williams Chief Executive of Welsh Athletics

2022/23

2021/22

2020/21

2019/20

2018/19

2017/18

Income

1,896,899

1,972,869

1,541,130

1,782,552

1,815,388

1,686,146

Expenditure

1,941,114

1,976,274

1,543,062

1,823,704

1,779,831

1,784,816

Operating Profit / (Loss)

(44,215)

(3,405)

(1,932)

(41,152)

35,557

(98,670)

Investment Revaluation

(25,647)

1,088

47,742

(22,278)

9,351

Total Profit / (Loss)

(69,862)

(2,317)

45,810

(63,430)

44,908

(98,670)

Welsh Athletics continues to recover from the COVID pandemic, and the last 12 months have once again been a challenging time for the organisation from a financial perspective.

The sports sector continues to be impacted by the wider financial climate, and the changes in the funding model being implemented by Sport Wales. Despite postponing the change by 12 months, Sport Wales decided to remove lottery growth support for all NGB’s, meaning a reduction of £74,000 in annual investment into Athletics.

The overall impact of the various grant funding reductions saw overall income reduce by £77,058 to £1,896,899.

Coupled with the ceasing of the UK Athletics annual grant of £40,000 this has had a major impact on Welsh Athletics’ decision to operate with a deficit budget for the past 12 months.

The volatile global economic situation had a major impact on the value of our financial investments, with the funds seeing significant fluctuation in value throughout the year. The organisation made the decision to cease our investment funds to ensure that further volatility did not impact on our ability to maintain strong reserve levels. The timing of the investment fund closure led to a loss of £25,647 being realised in this financial year.

Our prudent financial planning during the pandemic enabled us to draw down on deferred grants and investments to minimise as far as possible the overall impact of these funding reductions.

The overall value of the funds invested since its inception has generated an overall positive return of £10k – greater than the bank interest received previously from cash held in current accounts.

Despite solid growth in membership (resulting in an increase of £53,784), it remains below budgeted levels of growth for the year. Income from race licensing and coach education also remains below pre-COVID levels, and both areas continue to be impacted by increased delivery costs.

To take advantage of the changing economic climate to higher bank interest rates, the organisation carefully reviewed cash flows and used short term cash notice accounts to positively impact the financial position for the past twelve months and budgeted to generate £10k in the year ahead.

Recruitment was postponed during the pandemic, and as a result, several new roles were recruited over the past 12 months, this led to an increase in overall staffing costs of £934,658 (up £106,542 on the previous year). The preparation and delivery of the team for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games meant an additional annual expenditure of £93,166 within the financial year. This included additional costs incurred to minimise the risk of COVID in the final weeks for the athletes and coaches. This was somewhat offset by the various training and preparation camps planned for earlier in the year for programme athletes being cancelled due to the ongoing threat of COVID at that period. The cost-of-living challenges facing wider society have also had a major impact across several areas of expenditure. The organisation has experienced significant annual increases in areas such as insurance, rent and IT – like-for-like costs have increased by £39,025 in these areas alone. The cost of delivery in coach/officials’ education and competition has also increased significantly over the last 12 months. These increases have continued into the current financial year and will put further strain on the ability to deliver all existing activities at the same rate going forward.

Welsh Athletics delivered its activities within the agreed deficit budget, and in order to achieve this overall expenditure was reduced by £35,160 compared to the previous financial year, with total expenditure standing at £1,941,114. The financial outlook for the organisation over the next 4 years is uncertain. There are likely to be continued reduction to investment from Sport Wales, with all Government department budgets being squeezed. Albeit UK Athletics are working towards improving their financial position, a return to grants to the Home Countries is likely to be a few years away. Like many businesses across Wales, we are planning for ongoing price increases from our suppliers, and this will likely bring into focus our ability to continue to deliver all of our programmes to the same extent. Our focus for the coming year continues to be on developing new income streams and commercial partnerships. We are working in conjunction with the other Home Countries on a joint commercial strategy, with all parties agreeing to pool our rights. This, coupled with a proposal to increase club and athlete affiliation fee would enable us to minimise the impact of the financial challenges that lie ahead.

The cost-of-living challenges facing wider society have also had a major impact across several areas of expenditure. The organisation has experienced significant annual increases in areas such as insurance, rent and IT.

Nant y Pandy parkun

GOVERNANCE STATEMENT Andrew Thomas Head of People & Finance

The year to August 2023 saw many appointments across the governance structures as succession plans recruited new members and thanked all who have contributed and served athletics in Wales. Four new non-executive directors joined the Board of Welsh Athletics, bringing with them a wide and diverse range of professional skills and expertise to shape and direct the strategy of Welsh Athletics and further strengthen the governance of the company and the sport of Athletics in Wales. As Nick Everitt moved to the vice chair role, Chris Gough joined the Board in Oct 2022 and Chairs the Finance Sub-Group. Chris is a chartered accountant and banking professional as well as a keen social runner. He has previously been a member of the Finance Sub-Group focusing on finance insights and self-generated and commercial income opportunities. Jamie Clode joined the Board having been elected as Chair of the General Council, ensuring a direct line of communication between the operational side of athletics and the Board.

2023

Board

Steve Perks

5/5

Nick Everitt

5/5

Jamie Clode (from Nov 22)

3/5

Chris Gough (from Feb 23)

3/3

Dan Clements (from Nov 22)

5/5

Lorna Kerr

3/5

Helen Adams

5/5

Jonathon Ford

4/5

Lynne Brier (from Nov 22)

4/5

Tom Overton

4/5

Finance

Dan Clements joined the Board and chairs the Performance Sub-Group to ensure the delivery of strategic coaching and athletic performance and that performance measures are in place and monitored regularly. Lynne Brier joined the board in Nov 2022 with a portfolio of Clubs and safeguarding. Board members participated in performance management and self-evaluation of personal skills to identify strengths and arrange development opportunities where needed. All coordinated by our new staff member Eleanor Cartlidge whose role includes support to the governance structures. Welsh Athletics thanks Nicky Lewis, Bernie Plain, Sue Alvey for their service as directors and for their many valued contributions across athletics as they stepped down from Board roles in September 22. The Articles of Association, specifying the purpose and how Welsh Athletics operates, were reviewed in collaboration with UK Anti-Doping to support their work in protecting our sport from doping.

People & Culture

ED&I

Development & Participation

Performance

3/3 1/1 1/3 6/6

5/5

GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT Jamie Clode Chair of General Council

The past twelve months have seen the Council support the work of the executive staff in re-emerging from the challenges of the pandemic. Presentations were received from several members of staff regarding the various changes that have been taking place over the year. A particular focus was on the changes to the Development and Participation teams. The General Council also refreshed the role descriptions for Council members with the aim of improving clarity of roles for members going forward. Our thanks to Kay Hatton, representing the North Wales region, for her hard work with this task. The General Council plays a key role in supporting the regions and committees in working alongside the

Senior Outdoor Champs 2023 - 100m sprint Photo Credit Rhys Jones

executive staff. The Council has struggled to get a full level of representation throughout the year, this is further compounded by the lack of a secretary for the committee. As we look ahead, it is vital that the clubs and regions support the work of the General Council and help shape the sport in Wales going forward. Without the support of the clubs and regions, the Council cannot operate and the vital link between the Council and the Board may be lost. I would like to wish the future Chair all the very best in the year ahead and will finish by thanking existing members for their help and support over the past 12 months.

EQUALITY STATEMENT Helen Adams Chair of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Sub-Group

Strategic Aim: Lead the Way Demonstrate our commitment to Equality and Diversity Strategic Aim: Unite Ensure Athletics is a safe and inclusive sport for all Our high-level aspiration in line with Welsh Athletics Vision is: ‘to be the number one sport for participation and opportunities across Wales.’ To support this vision, the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Sub-Group has developed several strategic priorities, which have been ratified by the Board. These are: •

•

To expand and deepen the partnerships we have across Wales to increase and improve the reach of the sport to support our strategic objective of bringing new people from all backgrounds to increase diversity across athletics in Wales. To embed ED&I learning into existing education pathways e.g. coaching, officiating.

To benchmark representation of disabilities against Welsh National Data and work towards proportional representation within our athletics family.

•

To work towards Welsh Athletics achieving Disability Sport Wales InSport Silver Accreditation.

•

To benchmark representation from minority ethnic communities against Welsh National Data and work towards proportional representation within our athletics family.

To achieve full integration of para-athletes across the sport in Wales – by creating a single unified athlete pathway for all.

Key to Welsh Athletics measuring the successful implementation of these strategic priorities is having access to meaningful data and insight. This will allow us to not only benchmark where we are currently, but to help us with monitoring our impact. To help us achieve this, we are working with our membership on how we can better capture data across all the protected characteristics. We In relation to current membership data, our membership data for those classified as having a disability is: MEMBERSHIP

2.5%

COACHES

OFFICIALS

are also working with our social running community on how we can better capture participation data to ensure we accurately reflect the breadth of participation in our sport. We’re working with several partners, including Sport Wales on how we can improve, capture and bench mark our data in line with Welsh Government policy, to ensure we follow good practice in this area.

In relation to current membership data, Our membership data for minority ethnic communities is: MEMBERSHIP

2.5%

However, more needs to be done in terms of developing a range of opportunities across athletics to attract and retain participants in our sport. The sustainability and growth of the sport will depend on this. Over the next year we will continue to work with Sport Wales and partners as part of the ‘Moving to Inclusion 12

•

COACHES

We also know that we continue to have a 50/50 split in terms of male and female participation in the sport.

OFFICIALS

Framework’ which is replacing the previous Equality Standards in Sport Framework. We look forward to working closely with Sport Structures, Sport Wales’ delivery partner and assigned mentor to support us with achieving our strategic priorities to ensure we continue to grow and develop an accessible and inclusive sport.

SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENT Rob Sage Consultant

The changes to the earth’s climate are already impacting on our sport e.g., an increase in extreme heat, flooding, and storms disrupting events and training – and with ever greater extremes of weather now inevitable, the sport must play its part in mitigating the potential future damage and look at how it can adapt now for the future environmental conditions. Welsh Athletics is committed to taking action to address the environmental impact of our core business and activities that we directly deliver, whilst also consulting and advocating for change within the athletics family in Wales. There are and will continue to be an increasing number of requirements to address the environmental sustainability of the sport placed on Welsh Athletics by funders and governing organisations e.g., World Athletics event label criteria, UK Sport, Sport Wales Capability framework, Welsh Government. The embedding of action to address the impact of athletics on the environment will soon be required in the same way as action to address

Llanishen Park parkrun Photo Credit: Paul Stillman

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are, and a similar organisational approach will be needed. Partnership working within Athletics and across the sporting sector will be key, as will learning and reviewing progress based on good data. Progress has already been made, driven in part by innovation to adapt to COVID restrictions. We have moved to more hybrid working and governance meetings that moved online and, in most cases, have continued online, significantly reducing travel costs and emissions for staff and volunteers. Printing has reduced dramatically within the office environment, at events, and the introduction of digital membership packs has replaced hard copy booklets and plastic membership cards. An internal assessment of the environmental impact of Welsh Athletics brought out the following areas as those where we can have further significant impact on our carbon footprint and environmental impact...

Staff, volunteer, and participant travel

Waste management, recycling and reduction in single use plastics

Local procurement of sustainable goods and services

SAFEGUARDING & DUTY OF CARE Carl Williams Safeguarding & Compliance Officer / Lynne Brier NED Clubs & Safeguarding

Strategic Aim: Unite Ensure robust safeguarding practices are being implemented across the sport Safeguarding & Compliance remains at the forefront of all that we do in Welsh Athletics

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility We are pleased to report that Welsh Athletics remains at the CPSU (Child Protection in Sport Unit) level 3, the highest level, following our annual review in July 2023. This is down to the hard work of all our members, particularly our Club Welfare Officers who have attended the Safeguarding training, completing both the NSPCC

To date, nearly...

200

Safeguarding in Athletics course and the Time to Listen course, thank you all. Time to Listen training was introduced in July 2022, there was a requirement for all clubs to ensure that their Club Welfare Officers have completed the necessary training.

Club Welfare Officers have been trained in the Time to Listen course

This has been completed in 12 months, a tremendous effort. Our Safeguarding & Compliance Officer Carl Williams also completed the training to ensure he had an insight into what was expected from the NSPCC & CPSU. The course covers exactly what needs to be done should a concern be raised and also provides the necessary skills for dealing with and referring matters to social services and the Police should the concern need to be escalated.

matters are dealt with professionally and recorded on the National system.

Also, all Welsh Athletics staff have completed the Time to Listen training to ensure they have the necessary skills to deal with any safeguarding concerns.

Our Staff also have further training planned for Safe recruitment in the workplace, an area of importance for recruitment of volunteers and staff.

The Welsh Athletics board are committed to developing training for all and themselves have completed their safeguarding training which will continue this year with completion of further NSPCC accredited training.

Welsh Athletics operate a zero-tolerance approach for safeguarding and compliance, and all matters will be dealt with by Welsh Athletics and where necessary UKA.

Since January 2023, 30 cases have been passed to Welsh Athletics regarding Safeguarding, Codes of conduct and discipline matters. Welsh Athletics continue to work closely with UKA Safeguarding team & the Home Countries to ensure all 14

To ensure that Welsh Athletics remains current and forward thinking in relation to Safeguarding Children and Adults at risk, we have further training arranged for the Welsh Athletics Safeguarding lead in November this year to look at Adults at risk training within the sport.

Overall, a strong 12 months in Safeguarding & Compliance since our last update, 2022 provided the initial pathway for our Safeguarding training for our Club Welfare officers and staff, it has been a success. This year we will continue to embed our new practices and training to ensure we can be the best we can be, working closely with the NSPCC, Anne Craft trust and UKA.

PEOPLE & CULTURE Andrew Thomas Head of People & Finance

Strategic Aim: Lead Unitethe Way Be a high-performing organisation & invest in and Ensure robust empower our staff safeguarding to developpractices and succeed are being implemented across the sport Employee well-being and development continues to be a priority, encouraging everyone to reflect on their successes and achievements, plan forward work objectives and careers and take well-being time each week.

We have celebrated the achievements of colleagues as they move into new roles within and outside of Welsh Athletics and welcomed onboard new colleagues, joining us to work within and lead teams across the business.

Staff embraced digital tools to collaborate remotely and use the flexibility of working hours and locations to maintain a healthy work-life balance and fully engage with our sport and members outside of office hours.

Staffing structures were reviewed and new roles created, with many appointed from within existing staff and others openly recruited to secure the right talent and focus work plans aligned to delivery against our strategy.

Welsh Athletics Development Structure Holli Jehu Starting Blocs Coach

Hannah Pretty Head of Development, Participation & Inclusion

Jacqueline Brace Registration & Licensing Officer

SCHOOLS & EDUCATION

THRIVING INFRASTUCTURE

INCLUSION

Andrew Jenkins Schools & Young People Engagement Coordinator

Tom Cole Club Modernisation & Facilities Coordinator

Libby Steele Inclusion and Engagement Coordinator

FOCUS AREAS

WSAA, Teacher Education, School Districts, Physical Literacy

Club Governance, Facilities, Volunteer Support

EDI & Partnership Engagement

Participation Structure Hannah Pretty Head of Development, Participation & Inclusion

YOUNG PEOPLE ENGAGEMENT

ADULTS ENGAGEMENT

THE RUNNING ECOSYSTEM

Cath Bingham Young Person Physical Activity Officer

Josie Rhisart Adult Running & Engagement Officer

TBC Running Participation Officer

FOCUS AREAS

Daily Mile, School social running initiatives, Junior parkrun

parkrun, GP referral, Social Prescribing

Running Group Support (Affiliated / Unaffiliated), Clwb Run Wales

What we do is set out in our strategy documents but the how we do it has been a focus this year as we look beyond performance management of staff members to understanding and building our culture as an organisation. What it feels like to work here, volunteer here and be part of the sport of athletics in Wales. We surveyed widely the staff, members, athletes and volunteers across our sport. Seeking feedback to improve services but also gauge perceptions of ‘what it feels like’ to be involved in athletics – an indicator of culture.

We have invested in the communications and marketing team, recruiting to increase capacity to deliver a wider range, reach and rich quality of messaging and exciting and engaging content to relevant targeted audiences. We continued to invest in staff training and development and introduced new policies to enhance maternity, paternity and adoption leave. Our work focused on supporting colleagues in response to staff feedback and looking forward to promoting an affordable balance of benefits to retain and attract staff through a total rewards approach.

The staff engagement index for the 2023 survey is...

2023

64%

2022

63%

2021

71%

Work is ongoing with line managers to understand and respond to the survey results.

Staff Day - Orienteering in Garth Woods

PERFORMANCE & PERFORMANCE DEVELOPMENT Chris Type Head of Performance / Dan Clements Chair of Performance Sub-Group

2023 saw the continuation of the Welsh Athletics performance programmes with the Regional Development Programme (RDP) bringing the community of athletics together to both support athletes and coaches alike. The National Development Programme saw its first residential camp where athletes from across Wales with their respective coaches came together with the focus of educating athletes on the requirements of elite level athletics and providing

a performance monitoring opportunity for the benefit of athletes and coaches. Both Transition and Performance Programmes added the opportunity for an individualised approach to supporting the needs of each athlete. With training camps and competitions across Europe, 2023 proved to be a very busy period for the Performance team. We are now looking forward to Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games and the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Para Integration Welsh Athletics desire to become a fully integrated National Governing Body took a leap forward over the last 12 months and hosted more indoor events for paraathletes than the year before. Outdoor events have also continued to grow and are attracting athletes from other home nations into Wales for high quality competition. Multiple clubs across Wales are now embracing para

inclusion with coaching offers and inter club competitions. Welsh Athletics facilitated a classification clinic, where Welsh athletes gained para classification with workshops delivered for the education for officials and coaches. The Welsh U20 International in August also saw a fully integrated para programme on the timetable.

2023 British Championships The British Championships took place in Manchester this July and proved to be a successful weekend for Welsh Athletes. With a notable performance from Jeremiah Azu breaking the Welsh 100m record on what turned out to be a very wet day one of competition helped set the tone for

Adele Nicoll Shot Put Heather Warner 5000m Walk

other Welsh Athletes to follow. With five medals won in total across the track and field disciplines the 2023 British Championships acted as a true line in the sand to where Paris 2024 Olympic hopefuls are in relation to their home nation counterparts.

Adele Nicoll

Bethan Davies 5000m Walk Melissa Courtney 1500m Patrick Swan Shot Put 17

2023 Para World Championships Paris The 2023 Para World Championships held in Paris in July, saw seven Welsh Athletes selected to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland. With a full spectrum of experience from the likes of multiple world gold medallists 16

Sabrina Fortune T20 Shot Put Hollie Arnold F46 Javelin Aled Davies F63 Shot Put

Aled Davies and Hollie Arnold to newcomers Funmi Oduwaiye and Michael Jenkins, the Welsh Athletes led from the front delivering five medals across the throwing disciplines. Adele Nicol Sabrina Fortune

Olivia Breen T38 Long Jump Michael Jenkins F38 Shot Put Harrison Walsh 5th F64 Discus Funmi Oduwaiye 6th in the F64 Discus Final on her International debut as well as 4th in the F64 Shot Put Final

Tomi Roberts Jones (Centre)

Eleven athletes were selected to represent Wales at the Commonwealth Youth Games 2023 in Trinidad and Tobago. The team received a real fun and personal insight of what a major multi sporting event looks and feels like, an experience that will prove invaluable in the future. The highlight for the event goes to Tomi Roberts-Jones for his Gold medal performance in the T38 100m after enduring a significant delay in the programme. A performance that encapsulated the desire to deliver when it counts.

Tomi Roberts-Jones T38 100m William Bishop T38 Long Jump • Tomi Roberts-Jones – Long Jump 4th • William Bishop – T38 100m 5th • Storm Evans – Discus 4th • Mia Lloyd - F42-22/F61-64 Discus 4th • Jessica Lee - Long Jump 4th, 4x100m Relay Mixed DNF • Sophie Lisk - 100m Hurdles 5th, 4x100m Relay Mixed DNF • Joseph Berry - 200m 7th, 100m 12th, 4x100m Mixed Relay DNF • Joseph Rees Gara - 1500m 8th • Lewis Stephens - 100m 11th, 4x100m Mixed Relay DNF • Zico Jones - 400m 15th 18

The 2023 World Championships held in Budapest closed off the International senior calendar for the summer season. With four athletes selected to represent Great Britian and Northern Ireland there was a lot of action to stay tuned for. Jeremiah Azu and Joe Brier were selected for the 4x100m relay and 4x400m mixed relay respectively.

• Jeremiah Azu • Joe Brier • Melissa Courtney-Bryant • Natasha Cockram

Melissa Courtney- Bryant

Melissa Courtney-Bryant was selected to compete in the 1500m and Natasha Cockram was the only athlete selected to compete in the marathon for Great Britian and Northern Ireland. Melissa qualifying for the final of the 1500m was a key highlight alongside Joe Brier winning a silver medal for his run in the qualification rounds.

4x100m Relay 4x400m Mixed Relay 1500m Marathon

4th (37.80) Silver 12th (4:03:31) 30th (2:35:34)

COACH EDUCATION Chris Moss Head of Development & Participation / Liz Taylor Education Administration Officer

Over the last 12 months we have continued to deliver a full and evolving Coach Qualification and Coach Education calendar in order to meet the needs of our clubs and the social running community across Wales. Both affiliated clubs and social running groups continue to work tirelessly, recruiting volunteers that are ‘ready’ to take their first steps onto the coaching pathway and provide a workforce capable of growing the sport

We are happy to report that we are currently supporting just over...

As the landscape changes post pandemic, we continue to see the delivery of our qualifications and courses evolving and we are working hard to ensure that the right support is in place for all our valued volunteers and members both when they start and when they progress through their learning journey.

1900

Coaches and Run Leaders throughout Wales!

Whilst the number of attendees remains consistent for both our Coaching in Running Fitness (CiRF) and Athletics Coach (AC) courses, we are pleased to report that we saw...

244

New volunteers completing their Leadership in Running Fitness qualification - representing a 16% increase on the previous year!

With a 5.5% increase on our Coaching Assistant course, we are now pleased to announce that there are...

New Coaching Assistants operating and delivering activities in over...

separate club environments across Wales!

Due to the dedication and commitment of the leader and coach workforce across Wales, the sport continues to thrive, offering local and accessible opportunities that help to drive the health and well-being nature of this activity.

Across our Course Qualifications...

97%

Regional Coaching Course Map East Wales

of learners gave a...

20%

satisfaction rating for course content and delivery!

31%

North Wales South Wales West Wales

36%

13%

Coaching Course, Swansea. Photo Credit: Irfon Bennett

Athletics Unified – Changing Roles and Responsibilities in relation to qualifications, licencing, and education As many will have seen, on the 1st October 2023 saw each of the Home Country Athletics Federations (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) assume responsibility for the licensing of coaches and leaders across the UK. This is an exciting time for the sport in Wales as it allows us as an organisation to service, support and provide education and development opportunities to our coaches and leaders directly. The transition and development of the robust licensing scheme ensures that, as an organisation, we can continue to provide essential services and keep people safe across all settings.

Working in partnership with UKA and the other HCAF’s we will continue to develop the wider offer and work collaboratively to ensure that the specific needs of our volunteer workforce are serviced directly at a more local level. This localised approach allows us to serve our clubs and coaches more effectively, recognising their invaluable contribution that all active volunteer coaches and officials make to our sport whilst continuing to tackle the challenges faced by clubs, groups and individuals across Wales.

Coach Developer Workforce As we advance towards 2024, we continue to focus on our dedicated pool of Coach Developers who continue to deliver impactful, fun and engaging courses. Coaches and leaders are lifelong learners in sport as it continually evolves, so we must be ready for the challenges ahead and moreover be ready to react to specific needs and requirements.

With this in mind, we have supported our Coach Developer workforce throughout the year; offering opportunities for continuous improvement and as the team continues to grow, we recognise how lucky we are to have some of the most qualified and experienced Coach Developers delivering our On-Track and Off-Track courses to clubs and groups across Wales. 23

Front Row (Left to Right) Joseph Berry Zico Jones Lewis Stephens Jessica Lee Storm Evans

GEMAU IEUENCTID Y GYMANWLAD TRINIDAD A TOBAGO 2023 COMMONWEALTH YOUTH GAMES TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 2023 Back Row (Left to Right) Sophie Lisk Ashton Fish Joseph Rees Gara William Bishop Mia Lloyd Tomi Roberts-Jones

Fell, Hill, Off Road and Trail Leader Course The first ever Fell, Hill, Off Road and Trail running course took place in Wales this year set in beautiful surroundings along the Jurassic coastline of Dunraven Bay. The venue lent itself to test attendees’ prior knowledge and gave them the opportunity to try out new skills, confidently led by our experienced newly qualified licenced Coach Developers. A total of 9 Clubs and running groups were represented by a total of 15 leaders who attained their Fell, Hill, Off Road and Trail Leader qualification. These individuals will positively impact activities within running communities across South, East and West Wales which means that

groups can expand and explore these challenging but beautiful surroundings in a fun, safe and engaging manner. A total of 9 Clubs and running groups were represented by a total of 15 fully LiRF qualified leaders who attained their Fell, Hill, Off Road and Trail Leader certification. All leaders are now noted as LiRF Fell, Hill, Off Road and Trail Leader leaders within our running communities across South, East and West Wales which means that groups can expand and explore these challenging but beautiful surroundings in a safe, fun manner.

First Fell, Hill, Off Road and Trail Leader Course

Comments and feedback from the course include:

We thoroughly enjoyed the course, it was very informative and immersive which was great and the location was ideal and we had a little run along the coastal path afterwards!

The tutors were brilliant and made the course enjoyable whilst keeping on topic and informative 24

DEVELOPMENT & PARTICIPATION Hannah Pretty Head of Development & Participation / Tom Overton Chair of Development and Participation Sub-Group

Membership At the end of the 2022-2023 affiliation year, club membership totalled... an increase Since 11,688 across 100 affiliated 500 clubs of over last year

Membership is currently at 10,714 at the end of August with 7 months to go in the current affiliation year. Whilst this indicates membership trends are going in the right direction, there are some clear challenges around junior membership and retention in the sport to be overcome over the next affiliation year.

There will be targeted work undertaken across the organisation and in conjunction with our clubs, to ensure that the sport continues to grow, and that the membership offer is relevant and appropriate for the modern member. We look forward to working with clubs to overcome these challenges.

Modernisation Grant & Be Active Wales Fund Following on from last year we have continued to split the Modernisation Grant into two funding rounds to increase the opportunity for our clubs to apply for funding throughout the year. It’s been great to see clubs thinking outside the box to fund projects to make a difference to their clubs and members. This year we have so far awarded over £10,000 to affiliated clubs across the January and June application windows and look forward to opening the next round in autumn 2023.

Over the last year, Welsh Athletics have worked with 15 clubs and social running groups to support them through successfully applying for funding from Sport Wales via the Be Active Wales Fund, resulting in a further investment of over £30k into our clubs and groups. We will continue to support affiliated clubs and social running groups to access this fund to ensure the growth of our sport at all levels.

Clubs – Webinar Series Over the last year we have invested time and expertise into running a number of online club support webinars across a variety of topics, ranging from support around the secretary’s portal, funding and social media. It was fantastic to have over 130 attendees representing 86 of our clubs and groups join our webinars and engage in learning new skills to support their clubs/groups.

Schools & Young People Strategic aim: Engage Create an enhanced Teacher Education and Development programme This year Welsh Athletics have worked closely with Cardiff Met to deliver a Secondary Teacher Education workshop to over 35 PGCE students, due to the successful delivery of this workshop, two more courses are planned with the university in October this year. We have successfully delivered several Primary & Secondary Teacher Education workshops with over 130 attendees across the academic year from existing staff, newly qualified teachers and PGCE students. Over the next year we hope to engage and upskill over 100 people in this space, to support the quality of delivery of athletics in schools across Wales. A new active teachers focus group has been established to help us understand how participation in athletics and cross country can be increased in a school environment, the first place many young people will experience our sport at a grassroots level. Through feedback and insight from current teaching staff it is hoped that our programmes can be developed and modernised to increase entry points into our sport, whether that be in a competitive or noncompetitive environment. New schools continue to sign up to and utilise the excellent Daily Mile, Quad kids and Sports Hall Athletics initiatives and resources available to them. In May we celebrated World Daily Mile Day and joined the rest of the UK (and the world!) in advocating the importance of daily activity within our primary school settings. Across Wales over 45 schools and 7,773 children took part in the celebrations. Our partnership with The Daily Mile continues to strengthen and we are delighted to have recruited a member of staff to concentrate on increasing the opportunities across Wales for more school children to participate in the initiative. World Daily Mile Day at Llandough Primary School

Strategic Aim: Engage Create and roll out a Physical Literacy offering for children aged 4-9

Starting Blocs Summer Camp at Dumballs Road

Starting Blocs continues to support children across the country to participate in athletics through fundamental movement skills and fun, game-based activities. With positive engagement from several local authorities and additional providers now delivering sessions across Wales there are an ever-increasing number of opportunities for young people to access our sport. Exciting new partnerships with Cardiff and Vale College and Merthyr College will further extend the reach of the Starting Blocs programme, with this summer being an example where summer provision through both providers has flourished. Over the next 12 months we will expand activities and continue to work with our affiliated clubs, new partners to move closer to our vision of providing high quality, accessible, physical literacy opportunities in every local authority in Wales.

Starting Blocs session at Merthyr College.

Facilities Strategic Aim: Innovate Unite Continue to invest in a modern infrastructure to reduce the Ensure robust safeguarding administration demands for clubs practices and are improve beingthe implemented athlete experience across the sport There is no doubt that athletics facilities across Wales have been under increased strain over the last year following the rising costs of energy prices and the associated costs of running such facilities during a financially precarious time. In Wales, we have worked closely with level 2 licensed facilities to ensure that they are able to meet the UKA Track Mark accreditations and thus host UKA level 2 licensed events, investing into venues to ensure that essential inspections are completed. It has been encouraging to see three key competition venues (Cardiff, Newport & Aberdare) progress through Track Mark this year.

In March 2023, we secured significant investment from the Sport Wales Capital Fund to refurbish the athletics track in Brecon, and work was able to start this summer. We look forward to this facility returning to its best and being able to support competitions and training opportunities for the local community, clubs and groups for years to come. Following this success, a further three applications have been submitted to the fund this summer, for facility improvements at Cwrt Herbert track in Neath and Cardiff Metropolitan University in partnership with the facility operators with the former two progressing to the next stage of application. 27

RUN WALES Hannah Pretty Head of Development & Participation Tom Overton Chair of Development and Participation Sub-Group

Strategic Aim: Own it Champion the Health and Wellbeing benefits of our sport at all levels

Participation This year has seen significant change for Run Wales with a shift in the programmes’ focus moving towards advocating how running and jogging can support the wider Health & Wellbeing agenda. We have welcomed a new role into the team with a specific remit to support young people to be active through the Daily Mile, and developing a social running offer for secondary school aged pupils.

As a result of the relay, almost 30 groups have registered with Run Wales, and many existing groups joined in the fun, helping to promote regular running opportunities in their local area. The final event saw running groups gather with the official baton at Cardiff parkrun, whilst numerous additional groups joined in the national celebration at their local event.

The Run Wales Celebration Relay, launched in June 2022, concluded at Cardiff parkrun in August. The relay enabled social running groups to showcase and celebrate the social running opportunities available within each local community, complementing parkrun. The official relay baton visited 49 5k parkruns across Wales, with 45 registered groups supporting the event. The 50th parkrun event only launched a week before the final relay, but our social running groups were there to support it.

Clwb Run Wales, Run Wales’ virtual running club has continued to grow over the last year, with members enjoying the various Welsh Athletics benefits and for many the opportunity to continue supporting their social running group. With 10 established partner groups, and Clwb Run Wales membership totalling over 180 members at the end of the 2021-22 affiliation year we look forward to seeing the virtual club develop over the next year.

Run Wales Celebration Relay at Swansea Bay parkrun

Strategic Aim: Unite Bring new people from all backgrounds into our athletics family Run Wales Celebration Relay at Porthcawl parkrun

We continue to work with local partners, health boards and organisations to advocate new ways to encourage more of the population into running and jogging as a preventative and a remedy to various health conditions and to support the establishment of parkrun practice and other initiatives in local communities. Time will be spent building further partnerships with others aligned to improving the health and wellbeing of local people in Wales, using running as a catalyst. The promotion of the ‘parkwalk’ initiative, and introduction of the parkwalker volunteer role this year

has encouraged more people to participate in the weekly events, with social running groups reporting that they are now supporting runners who started out as parkwalkers. Over the last year our Guide Running workshops have upskilled additional qualified run leaders who now regularly support visually impaired runners to enjoy their Saturday morning parkrun. Although we are experiencing challenges around future funding, we are committed to working closely with parkrun to support further events being established and to ensure that our sport is accessible to all.

parkrun continues to offer weekly free running opportunities across Wales through... weekly events (50 5km runs, 19 junior runs and 3 custodial)

Including new 5k parkruns in Llangollen and Cardigan and most recently, a new junior parkrun on Anglesey 29

COMPETITION Alex Donald Head of Competition

Strategic Aim: Own it Develop the competition pathway to support long term athlete development and retention It was clear at the start of the calendar year that a great deal of work was required to re-start the Welsh Junior League and that a club led approach was needed to provide meaningful competition for this age-group. Offerings in the West, combined South & East and in North Wales were devised, a structure decided upon by the competing clubs. Our individual match hosts did a great job in offering meaningful competition and a springboard for an improved and embellished offering in 2024. Event specific competition in an athlete centric environment continues to be a key focus at Welsh Athletics. The introduction of competition for a younger age-group, the U15’s proved extremely popular this summer.

The Welsh Athletics U20 International continues to be relevant, closing the season for many and taking place on the final weekend of August. The match offered competition for England, England U18, Northern Ireland, Scotland, The Islands, Wales and Welsh Schools. Guest athletes were also invited to increase competition for our competing athletes. The addition of a Competition Officer for North Wales is testament to our desire to increase development opportunities in the North of the country, working closely with clubs, the region and other competition providers.

Strategic Aim: Innovate Build new collaborations to support innovation in competition provision Jessica Lee congratulating Gracie Griffiths on setting the new 5k welsh walks record

Adidas Podium 5k 2023 Men’s Start

A collaborative approach to competition delivery in Wales is successfully achieved for the off-track element of our sport. The World Class Cardiff Half Marathon continues to be seen as one of the top Half Marathon races in the UK, holding a prestigious World Athletics Elite Label and hosting our Welsh Championships annually. The Castell Howell International Snowdon race is Wales’ flagship Mountain Race and continues to thrive. The second edition of the Adidas Podium 5k – Home Nations International was a huge success and testament to our commitment to bring exciting and innovative initiatives to Wales within the competition space. The races boasted the highest quality domestic fields to have competed on Welsh Roads in decades, re-setting the Welsh all-comers record on the men’s side and creating a buzzing atmosphere with an extremely high quality of racing and live-streamed races shown at the venue on a large screen.

Adidas Podium 5k 2023 Women’s Start

Welsh Athletics worked closely with the Urdd, Wales’ largest Youth organisation, to increase their participation portfolio to include an Athletics offering with both Primary School Races in November and a DNA style Track & Field event in mid-July. We continue to work collaboratively with the Regional Councils to ensure the smooth delivery of their Championships and particularly around the Indoor Championships where they are entirely integrated into our events for three of the four regions. There are a number of Welsh Clubs that currently deliver popular Open Meetings to ensure a varied Competition offering that is geographically spread around Wales. The South Wales Throws meetings were extremely popular this summer and very well received by the Throws Community. With regards to the other discipline groups, Welsh Athletics has highlighted this area as one for growth and investment in 2024.

Strategic Aim: Inspire Deliver World Class Events that showcase our sport throughout Wales and the rest of the World Our flagship athletics event took place in October, when the Cardiff Cross Challenge hosted the first fixture in the World Athletics Cross Country Tour ‘Gold’ meetings and welcomed some of the World’s top Cross Country racers to Cardiff including Commonwealth Games medallist Edward Zakayo and then future World U20 Cross Country Championship Bronze medallist Pamela Kosgei. The Welsh Senior and U15 Championships in late June is Wales’ flagship Track & Field event and took place with a larger number of competitors in 2023. The entry grew by a quarter over the previous edition to nearly 700 helping to create a greater atmosphere at the event that is designed

to be a window to our sport in Wales and to inspire a next generation of Welsh athletes. All seven of our Welsh representatives at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships competed at our Championships, offering proof that the work Welsh Athletics is doing in this area is proving extremely fruitful. We were also able to increase the public facing publicity that some of Wales’ top athletes did at and around the Championships in order to inspire the younger athletes that look up to our sporting role models.

Welsh Schools Cross Country Champs in Brecon

Welsh Schools We would like to thank all the teachers, school district officers, teachers, pupils, and clubs who have contributed and supported all our events and initiatives again this year, it is gratefully received. It was a successful year for Schools Athletics in Wales with the usual district competition recognising and identifying new talent and preparing athletes firstly for national competition and then for a variety of international competition offerings. On the whole, the last 12 months has seen increasing numbers at a national level and a closer working relationship between the Welsh Schools Athletics Association and Welsh Athletics as this area is seen as increasingly important to the governing body. Welsh Schools Championships began with the Combined Events Championships at the National Indoor Athletics Centre in early November with this event used to select a Welsh Schools team for the British Schools Combined Events International at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow later that month. The Welsh Inter-Schools Cross Country Championships took place in a beautiful setting at the Monmouthshire Showground in late November, in a successful collaboration with the Welsh Inter-Regional Cross Country Championships. 32

The Welsh Schools National Cross Country Championships returned to the Penlan Arena in Brecon where a more spectator friendly looping course that has been very well received. This event was used to select a team for the SIAB Cross Country International at Sefton Park in Liverpool where 40 Welsh Athletes represented their country. A successful 70th edition of the Welsh Schools Track & Field Championships took place on the 1st July in Cardiff with well over 500 athletes in action which was a 10% increase on 2022 numbers and included several athletes that had been selected for the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad & Tobago. The successful school teams from each district then faced off at the NASUWT Cup & Plate Finals at the modern and vibrant Ron Jones Stadium in Aberdare. The subsequent SIAB International then followed in Grangemouth where 60 athletes competed for Wales, securing 17 medals and finishing as the third team overall. Alongside the formal secondary school and colleges competition offering, numerous other athletics events, sports days & festivals took place to provide a window to the sport and as a recruitment tool into the more formal Welsh Schools Athletics activities. Schools Competition offers opportunities for School age Children across Wales, recruiting for the sport and offering a competition outlet for athletes of all abilities.

130

Joint Welsh Schools & Welsh Athletics Combined Events Championships saw...

19TH NOVEMBER

Joint Welsh Inter Schools & Welsh Colleges Cross Country and Welsh Inter Regional Championships at Monmouth with...

15TH FEBRUARY

738

12TH MARCH

The Welsh Sportshall Final also saw an increase in districts fielding teams, the winning U13 & U15 teams from Powys & North West Wales progressing to the UK National Finals on 1st April at Stoke. We aim for and hope to have a full set of...

1ST JULY

518

pupils represented their school districts in the Welsh Schools Track & Field Championships at Cardiff. Over...

12TH JULY

614

pupils participated in the much improved NASUWT Cup & Plate Finals at Aberdare, our most popular fixture of the schools events pathway.

2022

2023

pupils participate with...

6TH NOVEMBER

pupils entered in the 60th Welsh Schools National Cross Country Championships at Brecon, with...

progressing to the Combined Events International at Glasgow on 26th November 2022.

279 40

pupils finishing the races.

pupils then selected for Welsh Schools in the SIAB Schools International at Sefton Park.

districts at Cwmbran in March 2024.

pupils mainly from the Middle age group were then selected for Welsh Schools in one of our most successful ever SIAB International at Grangemouth, Scotland.

Aharon Graham-Mulvaney competing in the U20M Pole Vault at the Welsh Schools Champs.

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Jozie Postles Head of Marketing & Communications

Strategic Aim: Inspire Bring Athletics to a wider domestic audience The three areas of focus over the past year for the marketing department have been to get a strong team in place, making sure our communications are accessible for all and to test and learn.

Strong Team In October, I am delighted to share we recruited Lowri Jacob as our Digital Content Assistant for Welsh Athletics. In addition, in the last few weeks, Tom Hughes has also joined us part-time as a Digital Content Assistant for Run Wales. Together we are excited to take our communications to the next level, ensuring we are marketing our sport in the best possible way whilst attracting new and retaining existing members and groups.

Communications That are Accessible for All Over the past year, we have taken the following steps to improve the accessibility of our communications: •

• • •

Attended training courses with Sport Wales and Disability Sport Wales for ideas on how to improve accessibility via our comms. From this we have made the following changes: o Adding ALT text to all images on our website and social media. o Adding subtitles to all video content. Worked with Disability Sport Wales to do a full review of our website highlighting areas of improvement. Following the review, we instructed our website provider to implement changes over the next 3 months to our website to bring us in line with DSW’s recommendation and become WCAG AA compliant. In addition, we have updated the Welsh language on our website and started to introduce Welsh phrases across our communications internally and externally.

Test and Learn This year our pledge has been to try out new ideas, content and platforms and learn from the outcomes. A few examples include: •

• • •

Live streaming for the first time on our Youtube channel. We worked with 24/7 to live stream Cardiff Cross Challenge. The stream had 7,530 views on Welsh Athletics youtube channel and 6,012 views on British Athletics channel who also agreed to host the live stream. Creating fun Christmas film covers using our programme athletes to showcase the fun side of our sport. Continuing to grow our TikTok page, focusing on video led content. This year has seen a 137% growth in the channel. Increasing the use of Welsh language across our website blogs and social media channels.

Key Stats: Social Media

33,879 Toal impressions = 8.42m Total posts = 2.91k Total followers =

Total engagements = Total video views = Post link clicks =

472k 113k 94.9k

Key Stats: Website Total number of page views = Total number of users =

Top 3 visited pages =

1,271,117 223,186

1. Upcoming Competitions 2. Track & Field Competitions 3. Blogs

Key Stats: Members Newsletter

78 Average email open rate = 57.5% (+2.8%) 160,540 Average click rate = 7% (+1.2%)

Number of email campaigns sent = Total emails delivered =

Our social media following for Welsh Athletics has continued to increase consistently year-on-year and we are expected to surpass our 2026 target of 40,000 followers. TARGET

2019 Followers

All stats taken between: 1st September 2022 - 31st August 2023

21,000

2020 Followers

2021 Followers

24,000 26,000

2022 Followers

2023 Followers

30,000 34,000

2026 Followers

40,000

136.5% Followed by LinkedIn with 73.3% TikTok has seen the overall biggest percentage growth in followers with

Twitter (X)

4,778

up 247

= 1.69%

Facebook

8,723

up 1515 =

Instagram

7,858

up 1166 = 17.4%

YouTube

1,149

up 211

= 22.4%

931

up 394

= 73.3%

TikTok

440

up 254

= 136.5%

Total followers

33,879

21%