Celebrating the successes and achievements of our students and sports clubs here at Aberystwyth University
Our Club of the Year award is one of the most coveted and sought-after awards within Team Aber. This is awarded to the most successful, committed, and active club of the academic year. This award was by far our most nominated award, it was fantastic to see the diversity of clubs being put forward for this award, all with some strong nominations.
Our winning club, Harriers (Running & Athletics) received numerous nominations, all speaking highly of the dedication from the committee and the enormous contributions made towards creating a happier and healthier Aberystwyth in these difficult times.
Many of the nominations highlighted the high levels of participation compared to previous years, including increasing their membership base by a whopping 150%. A defining point that stood out to the panel was the club’s commitment to creating an inclusive environment for their members, so that everyone no matter their running ability was able to enjoy the activities.
This club have strived to provide the best for their members even when activities were virtual. During lockdown they organised a number of virtual events, including a 12-hour virtual relay, 200m and 400m races and a 5km virtual race.
The club are also heavily involved in the community, through volunteering at local running events and participating in the Town vs. Gown competition.
Through the nominations it was clear to see how much their members appreciated everything the group has done for them throughout the past year. Here are just some snippets from the nominations:
“I joined the Harriers at the beginning of the year as someone who had never properly been into running before and immediately I was made to feel welcome by not only the committee and other members but also through the training sessions that were catered to all different experience levels.”
- Anonymous nominee
“Joining the Harriers has helped me to feel less isolated and I have made so many friends through the club and I could not recommend it more to anyone who is interested in running or is just looking to improve their fitness.”
- Anonymous nominee
“A Club that has progressed from having, in the past, no one turn up to training evenings, they now enjoy a very healthy register with upwards of 30 members braving the cold of Aberystwyth to come training, even on Friday evenings! The strong attendance records is testament to the Committee's commitment to being inclusive by nominating coaches for short, middle and long distance running to cater for all abilities.”
- Anonymous nominee
Overall, the successes of the group would not have happened without the dedication and proactive nature of the committee. In a year that has thrown constant challenges at our groups, Harriers stood up to the challenge to continue providing valuable opportunities to their members, to keep fit, make new friends and more importantly improve student wellbeing. The SU is excited to see Harriers keep up their fantastic work going into the year ahead!
Why not get involved yourself? Check out Harriers here: