PLANS t frm a cmmunity athletics club which wuld perate under the umbrella f Cambridge and Cleridge Athletics Club have been revealed this week. We ve spken t the City f Ely Cmmunity Cllege and lcal peple wh are excited by the idea, C & C

PLANS t frm a cmmunity athletics club which wuld perate under the umbrella f Cambridge and Cleridge Athletics Club have been revealed this week.

"We've spken t the City f Ely Cmmunity Cllege and lcal peple wh are excited by the idea," C & C chairman Neil Cstell tld the Ely Standard, "and they are keen t be invlved."

Cstell says he appreciates that the frmatin f an Ely-based club culd deprive C & C f sme ptential members, but he believes that Ely-based athletes cmpeting under the C & C banner will nt necessarily help ther athletes wh have n facilities available t them.

"We have a respnsibility t the ther members f the athletic cmmunity in that area, t," Cstell said.

"Our missin is t prmte athletics in Cambridge, Suth Cambs and East Cambs and the fringe areas beynd."

Ely wuld nt be the first cmmunity t frm such an alliance with Cambridge & Cleridge Athletics Club.

"We already have ne in Camburne," said Cstell, "and ne is prpsed in Impingtn, and we wuld really like t have ne in Ely."

The bject wuld be t have Ely as a ptential 'feeder' area fr C & C - aimed in particular at yung athletes in Years 3-6 at primary schls - as well as lking after ther athletes wh simply need facilities t train and cmpete.

"The idea is t prmte athletics and prvide a rute t high levels f cmpetitin fr thse wh want it, but it's nt just a feeder t Cambridge & Cleridge - the basic prvisin in Ely is f fundamental imprtance."

A vlunteer in the Ely area wuld need t be appinted t facilitate the prject.

"We need t put the idea frward s that smene thinks it's a great idea and feels they wuld like t get invlved," said Cstell.

"We can't prvide the peple t run a cmmunity athletics club, but we can prvide lts f supprt."

The Cambridge & Cleridge Athletics Club is based at the university-built track in Wilberfrce Rad (West Cambridge), and a planning applicatin t install fldlights has been apprved.

Cstell believes that the establishment f Cmmunity Clubs is the best way t prmte and encurage athletics participatin in Suth Cambs and East Cambs, as well as the city f Cambridge itself.

"One f the reasns we started ding this was the grwth f the ppulatin in thse areas. We need t be able t supprt all thse peple wh want t be invlved in athletics, and the establishment f cmmunity clubs is the way t d that."

INFO: Cntact Neil Cstell n 01223 524428 r via the website at ­inf@cambridgeandcleridge.rg.uk