MALCOLM Pittock is an octogenarian who makes a difference.

To call him a stalwart of Bolton running is a bit like saying Nat Lofthouse once had something to do with Bolton Wanderers.

But even in his mid-80s and past the time of life when he feels he can take part in group running Malcolm still gives back to the sport in which he has partaken all his life.

He gets himself down to Leverhulme Park every Saturday morning and volunteers as a marshal, standing at the gate where runners leave and later return to the track, directing the way and giving encouragement.

He is one of 20-odd volunteers who make the event happen.

Their roles are replicated by people throughout all sports who enable activities and events to happen for the benefit of those who take part.

This week I was alerted by eagle-eyed local cricket supporter Ian Eccleshare to a story about a 141-year-old club that might have played its last game due to a lack of volunteers.

White Coppice in Chorley was once voted one of the most picturesque grounds in the country, but it faces an uncertain future.

Its story is one which can be found everywhere in local sport. Cindy Dixon, who has been a member of the club for 30 years, fills the roles of chairman and secretary and has to branch out into helping with the scoring, painting and general upkeep of the ground because there’s no one else to do it.

But because she wants to wind down her work there to devote more time to her family the club finds itself in trouble.

Volunteering isn’t the sexiest of roles but if it isn’t done sport doesn’t take place. It’s as simple as that, and if White Coppice don’t find people to do it they will fold.

There is another example a little closer to home.

I do a bit of group running on a Wednesday night at the Leverhulme Park track. That, too, is only made possible because local ultra-distance runner and Ironman Andy Henderson takes the sessions on a voluntary basis.

Thirty people get fit and active because of his volunteering but that’s not the point I’m getting at.

When you walk through the building to get to the track you pass a sign saying Bolton United Harriers is approaching crisis point because it doesn’t have enough people to do the jobs necessary to run it.

The poster makes no bones about the seriousness of the situation. If they don’t find volunteers to fill a number of roles which have been made vacant then, well, the word “crisis” on the poster is there for a reason.

People who take part in sport often think events just happen. They don’t, they need people to make them happen – even if it’s just making sandwiches at cricket, putting hurdles away at athletics or putting goalposts up at football.

If Malcolm Pittock can do it in his mid-80s anyone can.