At the spring meeting of Bradley Stoke Bowls Club, a large crowd of members was treated to a brief account of the excellent work of the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC). The charity’s new air base is in Almondsbury, from which they provide pre-hospital critical care services within the community.

It was unanimously agreed to adopt this charity for the 2019 season. Joe Hughes (GWAAC community fundraising coordinator, seen in the photo) explained aspects of the work, the high level of skills of all concerned, and the need to raise £3 million each year.

The major fundraising effort by the club will be at the Charities Day in August and through on-going collections taken at every home game during the season.

Robert Bertram, club chairman, conducting the meeting in his usual affable style, took the business of the club through all the usual housekeeping matters with admirable speed, including welcoming new members, and thanking office bearers and sponsors.

A highlight of the summer programme is to be a visit to the Isle of Bohemia Club, situated on an island in the River Thames at Reading.

The home season is planned to begin on Monday 15th April.

For more information about the club and the charity, visit bsbc.webs.com and gwaac.com

This article originally appeared in the April 2019 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine (on page 14). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH (except August), to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

Share this article:

Discussion is open - be the first to comment - click here to respond.

ALL 650 places for the 2019 renewal of the Bradley Stoke 10k Run, which takes place on Sunday 9th June as part of the town’s community festival, were snapped up within 48 hours of entries opening on 9th February.

Organised by local ladies-only running club Sole Sisters, the race starts and finishes at the Jubilee Centre in Savages Wood Road, where there will also be free car parking, showers, toilets and refreshments for runners and spectators.

The race route takes in much of the Three Brooks Nature Reserve as well as stretches along Brook Way and Bradley Stoke Way.

Open to men and women aged 16 and over, this year’s race will have a time limit of 90 minutes.

As in previous years, the race will use ‘chip’ timing and all finishers will receive a technical t-shirt and medal.

A spokesperson for Sole Sisters said the club would not be operating a waiting list this year, but anyone who has entered but now finds themselves unable to take part can advertise their place on the Bradley Stoke 10k Facebook page and arrange a self-service transfer through the RaceNation website. This facility will be available up to 31st May.

This article originally appeared in the March 2019 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine (on page 14). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH (except August), to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

Share this article:

Discussion is open - be the first to comment - click here to respond.

Back in October, on a cold, dark, Friday evening, just over 30 local residents joined members of North Bristol Running Group (NBRG) to begin their journey to become runners.

Week by week, working in small groups, supported and encouraged by a team of experienced runners, the group increased their fitness and stamina. This was achieved by following a routine of walking and jogging for set periods of time, e.g. one-minute walk, two-minute jog for a total period of twenty minutes. Each week, the group were able to increase the amount of time spent jogging and the distance covered.

Sheila Wilcox, one of the run leaders for NBRG, explained:

“It’s about the fifth week of the course when the magic happens. We see people who struggled to jog for one minute in the first week now able to continue jogging for ten minutes at a time and covering the full 5 km distance, it can get emotional.”

Sheila also described how this year’s group worked hard to succeed, not only training on a Friday evening but also once or twice during each week, adapting their busy schedules to accommodate walk/jog sessions.

On Saturday 8th December, the ‘Couch to 5k’ crew met at The Ridings, Chipping Sodbury to participate in parkrun – a free, weekly, timed 5km run. This event marked the end of the eight week course, and their graduation as runners. They were awarded a medal and celebrated with a sip of well-earned Bucks Fizz!

It’s hoped that the graduates will continue with their new activity of running by continuing to attend the weekly runs that NBRG offer. Another ‘Couch to 5k’ course will be offered by NBRG in the autumn of 2019.

Photo: ‘Couch to 5k’ graduates and NBRG members at Chipping Sodbury parkrun.

• More info: ‘North Bristol Running Group’ on Facebook

This article originally appeared in the January 2019 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine (on page 25). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH (except August), to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

Share this article:

Discussion is open - be the first to comment - click here to respond.

On a cold, dark November evening, Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook shopping centre was turned green by the ever-growing numbers of the popular North Bristol Running Group (NBRG).

The group had gathered together to celebrate five years of running in the community, and friends, families and runners met together for a slice of celebratory cake, a group photo and, of course, a run!

The local group, founded by running couple Alan and Sheila Wilcox, has over 1,000 members signed up to the NBRG Facebook page and offers weekly 5k and 10k runs as well as a ‘Couch to 5k’ course on an annual basis. The group’s members include trained leaders in running fitness, mental health ambassadors and runners of every ability.
From the early days of trying to find other runners to train with, NBRG has multiplied and has become known as ‘the green family’, in recognition of the bright green t-shirts its members wear. A highlight of the group has been the creation of a running community within the Stokes area.

Joint founder Sheila Wilcox said:

“It really feels like a community group and through our ‘Couch to 5K’ course, it’s a great way to introduce people to running … and now we have this wonderful network of local people who support each other to do something fantastic!”

One of the members has even recently set up a social coffee catch-up on a monthly basis – perfect for all members, including those taking a break from running due to other commitments or injury.

More: Group supports many charities through its running activities »

Share this article:

Discussion is open - be the first to comment - click here to respond.