“Desperate for Funding”: Coach Sounds Alarm Over Deteriorating Track Amid Financial Troubles

Cornwall Athletic Club is facing an urgent funding crisis as its ageing athletics track continues to deteriorate, putting pressure on a facility that has helped generations of athletes develop their talents. The club, which played a part in British pole vaulter Molly Caudery’s early career, is now desperate for money to resurface the track and restore its ability to host competitions. With the venue currently without a competition licence, athletes have to travel to a neighbouring track in Par to compete. Now, club representatives are speaking out about the challenges they face and why securing funding for a new track has become increasingly urgent.

In a post shared by Athletics Weekly on X on October 20, Cornwall AC representatives opened up about the condition of the track and the challenges it has created for the club.  Neil Tunstall, the club’s speed and hurdles coach, explained, “At the moment our track is getting worn out and so we’re desperate for funding to get a new track,” he said.

He then revealed another problem the club is facing: “At the moment we haven’t got a competition license and so we have to go to our neighbouring track at Par to compete.” Without a competition licence, Cornwall AC cannot currently host licensed meetings at its home venue, forcing athletes to travel to Par instead. 

Dave Buzza, a former international runner, also stressed the urgent need to address the track’s condition. “We majorly need a resurfacing of the track at the moment, but hopefully that can be sorted,” he said. 

The situation is particularly concerning given Cornwall AC’s long history in the local athletics community. Its story dates back to 1974, when Carn Brea Leisure Centre and its athletics track opened. Two clubs, Duchy of Cornwall Athletic Club and West Cornwall Athletic Club, initially used the facility on different evenings before merging in January 1982 to form Cornwall Athletic Club. Since then, the club has provided a place for athletes of different ages and abilities to train, compete and develop their skills.

Among those who began their journey at Cornwall AC was Caudery, who started training with the club when she was around 11 years old. She went on to become one of Britain’s leading pole vaulters, winning the World Indoor Championships in 2024 and again in 2026. Looking back on the work behind sporting achievements, Caudery pointed out that people often see the medals and championships without thinking about where an athlete’s journey began.

“People always see the end result, you know, the medals, the championships, all of the golden things,” she said. She explained that success starts much earlier, with volunteer coaches, parents driving their children to evening sessions and local clubs giving young people the chance to try athletics. For Caudery, those early opportunities matter just as much as the achievements that come later.

Young athletes need somewhere to practise, learn from coaches and improve through regular training. She summed up the problem facing Cornwall AC with a simple message: “You have to train and to train you need a track.” Interestingly, Cornwall AC’s legacy extends well beyond Molly Caudery, with the club playing a role in developing generations of athletes who have gone on to represent their country.

Cornwall AC helped 57 athletes reach the International stage

Cornwall AC has a long record of developing athletes who go on to compete internationally. Chairman Alan Rowling said that 57 people associated with the club have represented their country in international competition. Among them is para long jumper Sam Jose, who began training at Carn Brea at the age of 14. After winning medals at the MENCAP National Championships, Jose earned a place on British Athletics’ Paralympic Development Academy and went on to represent England internationally. In 2026, he reached another milestone when he made his major Games debut at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, finishing fourth in the T20 long jump.

Other athletes have also added to the club’s international record. Paddy Swan represented England in discus at the English Schools Track and Field International in 2014 before competing for Great Britain at under-20 level. He later represented Wales in shot put and discus, including at senior level in 2018.

Jon Richards, meanwhile, won the European junior 5,000 metres title in 1983 and went on to represent England and Great Britain in track and cross-country competition. Their achievements show that Cornwall AC’s contribution to athletics spans different generations and disciplines. That history makes the deteriorating track a concern for the wider local athletics community.

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