The Volunteer Diaries: Matt Foote
New Joiners Rides
I have been the new joiners ride coordinator since 2017, following in Chris’ footsteps. The role includes sending out monthly invitations to those who have signed up on the ‘join us’ page, organising ride leaders and others to take the various rides. It also entails answering queries from prospective joiners about the club, liaising with Matt, our CWO and Caroline as membership secretary if we have anyone under 18, and making sure that the correct forms are sent out, and we have appropriate mentors available for the ride (usually me). I have to send a number of emails to everyone in the days before the rides, making sure they have all the relevant information on the meet, times, routes, etc. If people want to join after the rides, I do have to rely on them contacting me back so I can link up Caroline.
I try to be at the start of the rides if I can to do the welcome briefing, or sometimes I ask another Wheeler to do it. Leading and supporting new joiners rides is not like normal club runs, you don’t know for sure what level of experience people will have, and so it’s really important to be welcoming, patient, and prepared to support those who may be nervous, or struggling. It’s a real window on our club, and I always try to encourage people who have made the effort to come along.
The role has changed quite a lot over the years – from the original ‘all for one’ rides, where we set up the groups on the day at the Sunday club run, through COVID, where it became extremely difficult, to what we do now, to try and organise rides in the various group speeds. It can be a struggle, especially when I can’t get the support for all rides on Sunday, or when there are loads of emails to follow up on the rides and those who want to join.
I’ve always liked meeting new people, and I do enjoy the role, as its always great to see those who sign up becoming active members.
Cyclocross
I’ve been helping organise the annual Bedfont Lakes Central League event since 2018, alongside Dave Spragg and Chris Montagu. In the early stages, we had to find a venue willing to let us hold the event, which was no mean feat. Through a personal contact, I knew about Bedfont Lakes and was given a contact in the park management. Dave and I had a number of meetings with the management, working through the plans, with the upshot that we managed to get agreement to hold the first event in 2018. We also had to organise car parking separately, and through a club member, we were able to get agreement with CISCO, to use their car park.
Every year since, with the exception of the 2020 (due to COVID) and 2021 (the Queen’s death), we have held the event, and every one has been successful. There is a lot of planning, paperwork and liaison with the various stakeholders, including the council, CISCO, the park management, which I lead, and the Central League, which Chris takes on, as well as the catering and even the toilet ordering!
We both do the course planning, and I make the maps and plans as well as all the documents, including health and safety, risk assessments, race packs etc. On the day, Chris and I have to be on site early to make sure everything is set up including CISCO, and to make sure we have enough volunteers available to marshal and provide the timing, sign on etc. We also then have to do the follow ups with the council, deal with any problems that might occur and send the payments for the site etc.
I also enjoy providing our members with CX coaching to get them ready to race – we have had many of our club giving it a go, and it’s brilliant when I feel I’ve made a small contribution to that by giving people the confidence to do the basic skills.
KJCC
I’ve been coaching at KJCC since 2012, when I started taking my son down. This was how I initially got to join Wheelers as Hans Stiles, Mike Hartrey and other parents egged me into coming along for a try out ride, which I loved. Over the years we have seen hundreds of kids enjoying sessions and becoming in some cases, extremely good cyclists, and progressing into coaching themselves. We’ve had some great experiences over the years, including kids racing at Tour of Britain Go-rides, London Youth Games, cyclocross events, and trips to Herne Hill for track days. We also joined the Ride for 75 event and it was great to see one of our riders at the opening ceremony.
It’s not just my contribution though – both Gill Thom, who became our CWO when we needed one to keep running and Geof Champion, my fellow coach, are both long standing Wheelers.
My coaching specialism is cyclocross and I’ve been really pleased to see a big turnout of our kids in the past couple of years at the local CX races. In particular, it’s been great to see riders like Marcus progress from KJCC into Wheelers and to be representing our club in the junior ranks of races as well as becoming a qualified coach through our funding.
Being a coach is a commitment over and above any other volunteering – you need to invest time and money into the qualifications, keep your first aid and safeguarding certs up to date, and also be able to turn up on a Saturday, ready to encourage a group of kids, from the ages of 4 up, to ride their bikes. It’s all about the fun and that’s why it’s so good to do, but there are challenges – you have to commit to being there every Saturday, it can be cold, wet and miserable, and with only a couple of coaches, it does make it hard to keep things going sometimes but the feeling you get doing it more than makes up for that. Having our affiliation to Wheelers has added a new buzz, especially with our new kit design, and its great to see so many Wheelers parents supporting us on Saturdays, as well as at races.
