ATHLETICS: VALE Royal Athletic Club has also won Clubmark status with top marks. Michael Hunt, the AAA's North West development officer, said the national assessor 'praised the club for one of the best files ever submitted'. Since its introduction two years ago to lay down standards of coaching, child safety and management, attaining the Sport England Clubmark has been the priority for all Mid Cheshire sports clubs. Northwich Rugby Club and North-wich and Oulton Park cricket clubs were the first in the district to win the award, which takes an enormous amount of work, usually by amateurs. Neil Templeman, jumps coach at Vale Royal, said: 'We have spent the last 12 months working on the charter mark, which dictates how athletics clubs should be managed for the benefit of everyone.' The club had to prove its competency and was visited by two Sport England assessors. Club president Harry Evans and Templeman analysed the strategies already in place at the club and suggested improvements to allow for more effective management of the athletes, parents and coaches. Among the strategies that had to be implemented were child protection procedures - code of conducts for athletes, parents and coaches. The club invoked police checks and the coaches had to attend courses in child protection and risk assessment in order to coach at the club as part of Clubmark. Vale Royal had to show athletes had access to competition. With eight junior internationals at the club, national champions in sprints and middle distance as well as North of England Champions in cross-country, 3,000m, sprints and jumps the club had no problem proving coaching ability. Vale Royal has one level-four coach, seven and six at levels three and two and 16 assistants. Former Olympic athletes Robbie Brightwell, the former European 400m champion, and ex-800m British record holder Andy Carter are among the coaches. Mentoring and development of junior coaches, the club's involvement in the Cheshire Youth Games, coaching in primary schools and the structure of the club together with a development plan were all taken into account. Michael Hunt, who is the North West Athletics Development Officer for the Amateur Athletics Association of England, congratulated the club and said the national assessor in London praised them for one of the best files ever submitted to the development team. | 
