Deeside athletics club training safely at night thanks to local opticians

Specsavers in Flint has donated a set of 100 high visibility vests to a local athletics club, to help keep children and young people under their care more visible.

The Specsavers store in Church Street has donated the vests to Deeside Amateur Athletics Club after launching a campaign to increase the safety of local children by making it easier for motorists to spot them when their activities take them out into the community.

Denise Roe, retail director at Specsavers in Flint, says:

‘At this time of year when the days are still quite short, combined with the unpredictable weather, it can be difficult to keep track of a group runners and athletes on the move.

‘With this in mind, we wanted to help increase the safety of those training at this time of year at Deeside Amateur Athletics Club and spread the message around the importance of being clearly visible in the dark on the roads and elsewhere.’

Deeside Amateur Athletics Club has been training and supporting athletes for 40 years, many of whom go on to compete at national and international levels.

John Messum, vice chair and head coach at club, said:

‘As Head Coach of the Middle Distance team at Deeside, I have runners in my group aged 13 to 70 plus.

‘We often run on busy roads throughout the Flintshire area, so it’s imperative we keep our runners safe, particularly at night time. The Hi-Vis vests are fantastic, and we are extremely grateful to Specsavers for making such a generous donation.’

Image: L-R Ellie Small, Orla Davies, Mathew Anthony, Beth Dowsett, Reagan Edwards & Gwyneth Parry