Fellandale - the Club
We're a fell running club of around 50 members located in Horsforth, 5 miles west of Leeds city centre. We range in age from 17 to approximately 70. We have some strong runners, and also a large number who like to plod along at the back. We have lady runners too, and are always welcoming to new ladies who want to join us.
The Club has a Committee that is made up of 9 members of the club. It is their job to ensure that the club runs smoothly, is financially sound and arranges events for members. They meet once a month, and an AGM is held during the first week in February.
We arrange a wide variety of events: the club promotes the Danefield Trail Relay on the Chevin the first Wednesday in July. We are also very much a part of the internationally renowned Three Peaks Race held in the Yorkshire Dales every April; the Pen-Y-Ghent Fell Race and the Ian Hodgson Memorial Race held in Patterdale, the Lake District in October.
Since 2000 our members have helped to host a sports festival in Horsforth, Sport 'n' Fun, to encourage local people to join local clubs, such as ours. The event has a separate committee that is independent of the club, but supported by it's members.
We have a regular training night, which is a Wednesday; but members also meet at various locations nearby on a Monday, to run alternate routes. From Spring to Summer we also organise mountain biking routes on a Monday night, these are in and around Leeds.
Most weekends you can find members entering fell races -
mainly in the Pennines, Dales and Lake District. Many members also enter
distance events like the Karrimor and the Saunders. We try as much as
possible to travel in groups - doing our bit for the environment, 
but
also the opportunity to rib one another on the way there and back!!
Besides individual events, we are very much into team events, and have teams out for the Leeds Country Way, Calderdale Relay, the Ian Hodgson Mountain Relay, the FRA relay, The Bradford Millennium Way and The Badgerstone Relay. We also get involved in the series of five Sport Direct Cross Country events held during the winter in and around Leeds.
The club also has three championship fixtures; they are all point events, for which members are given a handicap, so as to give everyone a chance. During the winter we have a series of four Time Trials, which involves running two laps around roads near to the Cricket Club - a distance of around three miles. In the spring we run a handicapped route around the Chevin of around four miles. During the year we nominate races in the short, medium and long distance categories, to run and compete against club members for a cup!
The Club also has a very strong social calendar. In the winter we organise a number of informal talks on subjects of interest to members, an Annual Dinner is held locally every March and there is an informal Christmas evening, with members providing the catering.
We like our families to be involved too, and a fun sports weekend is held every July at Appletreewick in the Yorkshire Dales. Another weekend away is spent in the Lake District at the Blencathra Centre, close to Keswick, the last weekend in November. We go walking on the Saturday, and have a huge meal in the evening. The following morning we have a run around Skiddaw - the ones that can make it, that is!
Social events
We run an active social calendar beyond the training sessions:
Mountain biking
Members meet on a Monday evening at venues within a 10 mile radius of Leeds to take in routes of about 10 miles. These can be gentle flat routes across open ground, or on moors with a variety of climbs and ascents. These events run from April to August.
Annual dinner
This is held in early March at a local restaurant. Members and their partners are invited. A menu is circulated beforehand to enable to make your choice. The meal costs around £15. We always have a guest speaker, who is also invited to hand out the club trophies. Blencathra This is a weekend away in the Lake District. We stay at the Blencathra Centre, which is located on the lower reaches of Skiddaw, just outside Keswick. Members meet on a Friday night and sleep in either family style rooms or dormitories. There are toilet, shower and catering facilities available. On the Saturday a number of walks are arranged - these can vary in length from 8 to 15 miles - and is very much weather dependent! In the evening members cook a three course meal (usually pre prepared) and slowly drink themselves under the table! Unfortunately on the Sunday morning a run around Skiddaw is arranged (of about 6-8 miles) which sees many members drop out at the first gate! We usually have cleaned up and left at lunchtime.
Autumn socials
At Horsforth Cricket Club we ask members or local people to give talks - over the years these have been as diverse as holidaying in Scandinavia to pot holing - even one member who walked from Lands End to John O'Groats to celebrate his retirement! Christmas Meal Members, partners and friends come along to this Wednesday night gathering just before Christmas, to chat and have an informal drink. Yet again members pre-prepare a meal for all to offer their opinions on! The cost? £5. Fellsports. This is for members and their families! A field is rented off a farmer in Appletreewick from a Saturday to a Sunday.
We
meet just after lunch and play family games, which can be fiercely contested
by adults and children alike and includes egg & spoon, welly wanging,
football, rounders, etc.
It also includes a visit to the farm to watch milking or sheep shearing. A barbecue is held in the evening (please bring your own food) and members camp overnight. In the morning the final few games are played.
As you can see it's not all
running and walking!