Good afternoon to all Penny Lane Striders,

It is with a very heavy heart and deep sadness that I have to inform that yesterday, I notified the committee of my resignation from my position as Penny Lane Striders Men's Team Captain, and this was accepted, albeit reluctantly. In line with the Club's Constitution, my resignation is with immediate effect.

It was June 2015 when Andrew Leslie and I reintroduced the role of Vice-Captain, a role which I entered into with great pleasure and a passion to learn as much as I could about the role of Team Captain, just in case the opportunity to one day Captain the team came up. Andrew left for pastures new in October 2015 and the committee asked me to consider stepping in to the casual vacancy until the following June when I was elected as Captain. This is still one of my proudest moments and something that I look back on with great fondness.

I set out to provide some stability to the Men's Team, who had experienced a short era of instability at the helm. I also wanted to make every member of the club, regardless of speed, time at the club or motivation to feel that this was their club. And that they can be a part of anything they wished. Everybody counts!

I can say with confidence that I achieved this. I am also very happy with the role I have played, behind the scenes, with some of the more 'operational' aspects of the committee position.

Unfortunately, over the last few months there have been events and behaviours displayed by some that have fallen beneath my expectations and I am unwilling and unable to risk the compromising of my integrity due to the actions of people I may be associated with. It has also become more and more difficult for me to understand the direction in which the club is heading so I strongly believe that the club and its members will benefit more if it was led by a fully cohesive unit with a shared purpose and defined set of goals.

It has been a genuine honour to represent you all regardless of how well we may know each other, how long you have been here or how often we train together. You are responsible for some of my favourite memories, and not just running related. Many of you have become my friends both in and out of our day-glo Lycra. I cannot articulate how much you mean to me or how grateful I am to you all for giving me this opportunity. It will always remain in my heart, as will you all. Past, present and future.

I wish my successor the best of luck and I would like to extend my offer of assistance to you, should you need it. It is now time to get myself back in the mood to train hard and get back to somewhere close to where I believe I should be. See you all at a club night very soon. X

I don't have the words to express my sadness at hearing this news.
You have been a fantastic captain for this club and I have been very proud to share the journey with you through the last few fun, exciting years.
Your enthusiasm for all things running has encouraged so many new members to join in and have a go. They stayed, they flourished and they are now an integral part of our great club. This is all down to you.
Thank you for everything you have done for us - I am very proud to have you by my side. #teampls #wechoosetowin

First and foremost, thanks must go to Andy for the work that he has done for the club as Men's Captain. He devoted an enormous amount of time and effort to the role, and the enthusiasm with which he carried it out was plain for all to see. We're extremely sorry that he's stepping down, and replacing a Captain of his calibre will not be an easy task.

On top of the recent changes in committee membership there are several pieces of work going on behind the scenes just now. Some of these relate directly to running, and are aimed at enhancing the quality of training that the club offers to members. Others are more to do with the administrative side of things: the club now has a larger membership than at any point in its 32 year history, so we need to ensure that both the way it is governed and the way in which we communicate with members is fit for purpose.

Notwithstanding the work that is happening behind the scenes, the direction in which the club is travelling remains unchanged. We continue to be a club that caters for runners of all abilities, and that aims to strike the right balance between the social and competitive aspects of running.

We note Andy's reference to certain events and behaviours that have been of concern to him recently. Our intention is to provide an update on this and other matters via email next week. In the meantime we are grateful for your patience, and can reassure you that the work we do and decisions we take - however tricky these may be at times - is always carefully considered and done with the best interests of the club in mind.

Kind regards,
Nigel, Rachel, on behalf of the club Committee