Following discussions with the Sports and Leisure Department of New Forest District Council, Applemore College was made available as our training base together with a commitment to develop the facilities should the club be successful. The club was successful in obtaining some valuable initial sponsorship from the Leeds and Holbeck Building Society and local business. In addition, the club also has one of the best natural training facilities in the country, namely the New Forest.

Once formed and with a little publicity the club has quickly grown, with over fifty youngsters turning up on a regular basis. Coaching went well on a marked out four hundred track together with the purchase of some equipment and the upgrading of long jumps and triple jump areas.

The club has also started to involve its athletes in competition on an individual basis and immediately struck gold in the Hampshire County Championships in May 2001. Success continued throughout that Summer with wins by our athletes in club and schools competitions, several then went on to represent Hampshire in county competitions.

Two locally trained girls even reached the finals at English Schools at Sheffield in July 2001, Rhiannon Burden came fouth in the 200m final and Ceri Mitchell eighth in the 800m final. NFJ joined the McDonalds Girls League for the 2001 Season, placed 6th in the final league table. The club is affiliated to the South of England Athletics Association (S.E.A.A).

However the club was short of some vital equipment that the school was unable to provide, namely high jump equipment and throws cage. An application was made to the Awards for All organisation, and thanks to the National Lottery, the club has just been awarded £5000 to purchase the equipment plus pay for some courses and recreation membership.

The club will now be able to offer most youngsters, regardless of club, in the New Forest area, training for the full range of events without having to travel to either Southampton or Bournemouth.

Updated January 2006

The club is now based at Noadswood School in the Waterside area of New Forest, provides training and competition throughout the year. Despite being a relativity new club, many children have represented Hampshire in national competitions.

The club is affiliated to the Hampshire Athletic Association and the South of England Athletic Association. The club also acts as the schools/clubs link for both the New Forest Schools Athletic Association and the New Forest Primary Schools Sport.

The club is particularly keen to improve facilities in the area as well as provide the highest possible standard of coaching. All our coaches are qualified, concentrating particularly on the development of young athletes.