Clubmark

Pudsey Pacers Running Club is Clubmark Accredited (and in April 2014 we gained re-accreditation) and some of you may not be aware of exactly what this means and also what the benefits are of having it so the committee have decided to compile a fact sheet explaining what Clubmark is, what it stands for, how we as a running club can benefit from it and of course how it can benefit you as a member of the club so below is an outline of all this and more can be found by looking at www.clubmark.org.uk or asking any committee member, one point to mention is that if you do look at the clubmark website it mentions that it is for clubs with junior sections only but when Pudsey Pacers started out on this pathway it was for all clubs but then the rules were changed but because we had gone so far with it the governing body allowed us to finish the work and go for accreditation which we were successful with.

Introducing Clubmark

Clubmark is the only national cross sports quality accreditation scheme for clubs, it is built around a set of core criteria which ensure that accredited clubs operate to a set of consistent, accepted and adopted minimum operating standards.

Sport England recognizes and values the commitment made by sports clubs to develop high quality and welcoming environments for all athletes, the development of clubs that encourage 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 the club’s structure.

Benefits of Clubmark

As a single, national standard, Clubmark gives sports clubs of all types structure and direction, clubs awarded Clubmark have seen many tangible benefits, such as :-

Increased Membership

Addressing issues like equity and members welfare

Retaining members

Clubmark stimulates real thought about how clubs cater for all it’s members, the culture it promotes boosts morale of athletes and ensures that volunteers are recognised for their contribution

Continuous improvement

Accreditation encourages a club to adopt better, more organised systems and structures, thus helping them to run more effectively and efficiently

Funding

Many funding bodies state that applicants must be clubmark accredited or at least working towards it

Facilities

More and more local authorities and other leisure operators give priority booking slots to Clubmark accredited clubs, some 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 athlete performance

Volunteers

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

Raised profile

Clubmark is a highly valued accreditation as well as raising the profile with local authorities, NGB’s 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, utilise the Clubmark logo and take advantage ot other brand resourced as well as bespoke information to help generate more publicity, the universal brand, recognising quality clubs across more than thirty sports is a really valuable marketing tool

Club development

The foundation for any club is it’s members, the Clubmark accreditation process is designed to assist clubs to attract and retain members enabling the club to grow and builds a strong future.

Your questions answered

Can any sporting club achieve Clubmark?

any sporting club can gain Clubmark status by completing the required documentation and evidence

Who accredits Clubmark?

Around 60 National Governing Bodies of Sport ( NGB’s ) and County Sports Partnerships are licensed to award Clubmark.

All organisations involved in accrediting Clubmark clubs are subjected to a licensing process, the license is designed to ensure that all such organisations involved work to a minimum operating framework and can prove it. The licence is renewed every two years to ensure that minimum operating standards agreed are met by all Clubmark sports and best practise in quality standards is reflected.

What does Clubmark stand for?

Clubmark stands for higher standards of safety, fairness, coaching and management, that way the nation’s sports club infrastructure is safe, stronger and more successful, this means that a club that has been awarded Clubmark has achieved the minimum operating standards in safeguarding and protecting it’s members, quality coaching, equal opportunities and good management, in essence a club that qualifies for Clubmark is a well run club which is active and accessible, getting the best out of it’s members and giving everyone a sporting chance.

Why should clubs apply for accreditation?

Clubmark provides recognition for high quality clubs, it is important that all clubs should strive to this quality standard, Clubmark is an important club development tool and provides a solid foundation for all clubs wishing to grow and progress.

Clubs awarded Clubmark can be proud of what they have achieved, they are shown to have a commitment to developing their club, members can be sure that their club is a well managed club, striving to offer the best in coaching and development, by striving to achieve higher standards clubs are likely to attract more members and buil a sustainable future.

As a single, national standard, Clubmark gives sports clubs of all types structure and direction, clubs awarded Clubmark have seen many tangible benefits

Who is eligible for Clubmark ?

All clubs that are affiliated to a Sport England recognised NGB can gain Clubmark accreditation.

What does working towards Clubmark accreditation involve ?

In working towards Clubmark accreditation clubs will essentially need to put together a portfolio of evidence which outlines the minimum operating criteria, this criteria, for example, includes having a development plan, coaching plan etc

Who assesses clubs for Clubmark and how is Clubmark a quality assured scheme ?

Each of the NGB’s / CSP’s which are able to accredit clubs must go through a rigorous licensing process and provide evidence that they are sufficiently resourced to operate Clubmark, in addition all assessors are required to have attended training to ensure a clear understanding of the evidence required

How do I know which clubs have Clubmark? how can I find a Clubmark club near me?

The national Clubmark database holds records for every accredited club across the country, this database can be filtered by sport, region, local authority and CSP to help you find the most suitable club near you, a similar database of working towards clubs can also be downloaded, also, look out for the Clubmark logo – all accredited clubs are presented with a certificate to display and use the logo on their websites, signage and letterheads etc

How long does Clubmark accreditation last?

Clubmark accreditation lasts for 3 years, at this stage each club will be re-assessed on all areas of the award, clubs are asked to complete an Annual Healthcheck to ensure no major changes have taken place and there will be at least one visit by the licensing organisation within the accreditation period, all clubs may also be visited by a trained member of staff from KKP as part of the external verification programme

What is re-accreditation?

A club must re-submit its file to its NGB or CSP ( whichever body accredited the club ) after a three year period in order to become re-accredited

Has the equity criteria for Clubmark changed ?

It is important in sport, as elsewhere, that everone has equal status and opportunities, being accessible is about making opportunity available to all members of the community Clubmark clubs are committed to ensuring that they are accessible to the local community, taking into account their local circumstances, the importance of clubs in promoting sports equity and equal opportunities cannot be underestimated

What changes have been made to the equity criteria ?

Clubs now have to produce an Equity Action Plan or incorporate equity actions within it’s club development plan, this should be a short summary of how to recruit and retain members based on fairness and can be either separate or part of the overall club development plan

You as a member can rest assured that Pudsey Pacers has all your interests, welfare and development at heart

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