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Before setting up a sports club, there are some crucial things
that need to be thought about:
- Will there be enough potential members?
- Will there be enough volunteers to run the club?
- Is there a club in the area that is already meeting the needs
of the sport locally? To find out, it may help to browse our Sports Directory for similar local clubs.
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| Now that you've covered the basics, find out what you need to
do to set up your club. |
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Choose a name
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| This can be anything you like. It is necessary for a club to
have a name in order to draw up your formal documents and open a
bank or building society account. |
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Draw up a club constitution
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A club constition is a simple document which outlines the
functions of a club as well as procedures for membership, meetings
and committees. Having a club constitution from the outset is a
good idea as it will help clarify the club's position should you or
anyone need to know at a later date.
It is vital that the constitution is open and
non-discriminatory. Your National Governing Body may be able to
provide you with a model constitution for you to adapt. It is
advisable that the draft club constitution is drawn up prior to
your first meeting so that the group can adapt and agree it at the
earliest possible opportunity.
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Club officials
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A club will need a number of officials to run the club on a
formal basis. A club Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer are the
minimum required. These posts will be need to be elected. Before a
club meeting takes place, it is advisable that there are people
willing to take up these roles. There needs to be at least three
elected members in the committee. There can be other members on the
committee as laid out in the club constitution.
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Committee Meetings and Annual General Meetings (AGMs)
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A club committee is a group of people who are formally
responsible for managing a club. A club's success is largely down
to the committee.
Establishing a committee with clearly defined roles helps to
identify who does what in the club, help spread the workload
equally amongst members and ensure the club is not solely dependant
on one or two people. It might also be useful to establish basic
job/role descriptions to ensure everyone knows wat is expected of
them and others.
The committee should meet on a quarterly basis at the very
least.
An Annual General Meeting will be required as laid down in the
consitution so that all members can input into the running of the
club. It is at the Annual General Meeting that the committee is
elected.
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Finance
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As a new club, it will be important to raise funds to run the
club. Initially, these funds are likely to come from membership
subscriptions.
It is also advisable to produce a list of costs to run your club
throughout the year, which will help you create a budget of income
and expenditure for the next 12 months, ensuring that there will be
enough income to meet the outgoings.
A club will need to set up a bank/building society account in
the name of the club. A bank will usually ask for two signatories
for the withdrawal of cash or signing of cheques.
The Treasurer must maintain either:
- a bound account book for recording details of the financial
affairs of the club, or
- a computer-based programme from which printouts can be made in
the format of an account book. If a computer-based system is used,
appropriate back-up arrangements must be put in place to avoid
irretrievable loss of data.
Normal book-keeping practices must be observed, particularly in
that entries should never be changed. A receipt nook with a
numbered counterfoils will also be required to keep a record of
income received.
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Membership
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Your constitution should state that your club is open to all and
thus your club should offer different membership categories for
young people and possible discounts/reduced rates for those less
privileged.
You will need to draw up a list of information that will be
needed from members, also thinking about whether each member will
need to affiliate to join leagues/competitions and whether there is
a need for a photograph.
On the joining form, you will also need to clearly to lay out
the yearly membership subscriptions and any other costs members
should expect to incur during the year.
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Insurance
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| Clubs are advised to obtain adequate insurance to cover their
members (includiing coaches, volunteers, officials, parents,
spectators, players) plus visiting competitors. This may be
mandatory before you enter certain leagues and competitions. Clubs
must have public liability insurance cover and professional
indemnity insurance for the activities they deliver. Advice on
insurance for your sport can be obtained from your national
governing body. |
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Affiliation
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| It is recommended that your club is affiliated to its relevant
national governing body. National governing bodies can offer your
club insurance, access to training, access to qualified umpires,
entry to competitions and leagues and discounts on equipment. |
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Venue
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| You might want to choose a school, a local authority facility
or a facility belonging to another voluntary club to host your club
events and meetings. |
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Equipment and kit
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You'll need to have equipment and kit prior to the club
starting. You may be able to access local grants or funding from
Awards for All to help buy start-up equipment. Local business are
often a good source for sponsorship of local teams.
We offer a range of equipment available for sports clubs and
community organisations to hire at low prices.
Go to our Community Resource equipment hire
service
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Public relations and press
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| If your club has entered a local competition, you'll need to
comply with the local newspaper's results format. It is advisable
for a club to build up a good relationship with the local newspaper
to help raise the profile of the club to attract new players. |
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| For advice and guidance, please contact us. |
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