Introducing Clubmark - Clubmark - LIVING SPORT

Introducing Clubmark

Sport England recognises and values the commitment made by sports clubs to develop high quality, welcoming environments for young participants. The development of clubs that encourage young people to take-up sport, improve their talents and give them the option to initiate and maintain life-long participation in sport is an essential part of their work to support the sporting infrastructure in England.

CLUBMARK is the only national cross sports quality accreditation scheme for clubs with junior sections. Clubmark is endorsed by all the main sporting, youth and education agencies involved in delivery of sporting opportunity for young people. Built around a set of core criteria, it ensures that accredited clubs operate to a set of consistent, accepted and adopted minimum operating standards. It is a quality assurance scheme for sports clubs and their junior sections.

The successful completion of the accreditation process leads to the award of Sport England’s kite mark CLUBMARK, which can be used in publicity, backing for grant applications and membership drives.

A club is accredited via either its licensed National Governing Body (NGB) or County Sports Partnership (LIVING SPORT in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough). Therefore, the Club must be affiliated to the relevant Sport England recognised NGB in order to be accredited.

More than 11,000 clubs across over 30 sports are currently CLUBMARK accredited or working towards the award. These cover a diverse array of sports from ball games such as tennis, cricket and rugby to water sports like swimming, canoeing and rowing.

Why is it important?

As a single, national standard, Clubmark gives sports clubs structure and direction, and recognition. It acts as a developmental tool enabling clubs to increase membership and performance. It gives parents, potential club members, schools and funders the confidence to join your club and assist you to achieve your ambitions. Some outside organisations, such as leisure centres or schools, will only allow Clubmark clubs to use their facilities. Most funding agencies, when dealing with applications for junior projects, will only award funds to accredited clubs.

Most importantly, once accredited, you will have be a “quality” club, providing an environment where all members, particularly junior members, can enjoy sport and perform to their full potential.

Benefits of Clubmark

Clubs awarded CLUBMARK have seen many tangible benefits such as:

• Increased membership
• Addressing issues like equity and child protection gives parents confidence when choosing a club for their children.

Young People

CLUBMARK has a positive impact on the way clubs think about and provide for young people, therefore, providing a “quality” club environment where junior members can enjoy sport and perform to their full potential.

Retaining members

Clubmark stimulates real thought about how clubs cater for all members. The culture it promotes boosts the morale of athletes, increases their motivation and ensures that volunteers are recognised for their contributions. A vibrant club environment provides members with an quality sporting environment and encourages them to stay with their club.

Continuous improvement

Accreditation encourages a club to adopt better systems and structures and helps them to run more effectively and efficiently.

Funding

Many funding bodies state that applicants must be Clubmark accredited or working towards it and so Clubmark clubs can access a wider range of funders and are more likely to be successful in their fundraising.

Facilities

More and more local authorities and other leisure operators give priority-booking or only hire facilities to Clubmark accredited clubs. Some also offer discounted rates for facility hire.

Developing coaches

As part of Clubmark, clubs are entitled to receive help to develop the skills of coaches. This in turn leads to better quality provision and improved player performance. Parents can be confident that appropriately qualified coaches are deployed.

Volunteers

Clubmark promotes a volunteer culture where hard work and dedication is recognised. Once accredited, clubs find more people are keen to get involved, especially parents.

Links with schools

Increasingly, schools are looking for guarantees of quality and the presence of child- friendly systems and procedures. Clubmark clubs are normally the first to be invited to work with local schools, and schools are encouraged to signpost pupils to Clubmark clubs

Raised profile

Clubmark is a highly valued accreditation. As well as raising the profile with local authorities, NGBs and other sporting and community bodies, all accredited clubs are listed on a national database and in other directories, to help them to publicise what they do, attract new members and grow.

Marketing and communication

Clubmark gives clubs the confidence to promote themselves. All Clubmark clubs can access the Clubmark member's area of the Sport England Clubmark web site, utilise the Clubmark logo and take advantage of other brand resources as well as bespoke information to help generate more publicity. The universal brand, recognising quality clubs across more than 30 sports is a really valuable marketing tool.

Club development

The foundation for any club is its youth structure. The Clubmark accreditation process is designed to assist clubs to attract and cater for young members, and build a strong future.

The CLUBMARK website www.clubmark.org.uk provides all the information you need to assess if CLUBMARK is the right option for your club.

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