Start a Sports Club

Have you ever wanted to start your own community sports club. Not sure where to start? This section will guide you through the process of setting up a model community club in the borough of Islington.

• Investigate the local sports club scene
• Active participants needed
• Facilities
• Coaches
• Competition Pathways
• Volunteer Support
• Club Structure
• Funding

The 1^st thing to consider is: are there any existing clubs in my local area that are already delivering the sports that I want to set up? Thoroughly research the local clubs in your area to see if they are already delivering the sort of activity that you are looking to start up. Consider the option of joining forces with an existing club and starting a new team if the club do not offer opportunities for the age group, sex or ability that you are looking to target. Check out the Find a Sports Club section of this website or contact the Islington Club Development officer on 0207 527 1868 daniel.jarvis@islington.gov.uk to get a picture of the local sports club scene.

Do you have enough potential participants to set up a new sports club? Some sports like badminton and table tennis require small teams of up to 4 or 5 participants to compete in tournaments whereas other sports like football and rugby can require between 15 and 25 participants to make up a sufficient squad. Consult with friends, family, schools and colleagues to see if the demand is out there for your new club.

Are there sports facilities that you can use in you local area? Investigate the local sports facilities in the area in which wish to set up your club. Islington has a number of high quality indoor and outdoor sports facilities, however as a small borough with a high population these facilities are heavily used and preferred booking slots are often over subscribed. Check out the leisure centre and sports areas sections on the left side of this page to find out where your local facility is located. Get an idea of the cost of the facility and any concessions that may be offered for youth, disability or block bookings.

Have you got qualified coaches lined up to run the clubs sessions? To run a sports club, qualified coaches are integral to the success of the team and the enjoyment of the participants. Coaches also often have insurance cover and certified child protection training with their qualifications. To find out if coaches are available to support your club please contact the national governing body of your sport (see Find a Sports Club section) or contact our local coaching agency; the Access to Sports project (see Access to Sports pages in the getting involved section on the left side of this page). The Access to Sports project also deliver coaching courses to allow interested individuals to become qualified in their chosen sport.

Are there local competitions or leagues to join? Contact the national governing body of your sport (See Find a Sport Club section) who will direct you to a local organisational structure. Speak to league organisers and enquire about the capacity and qualifying conditions for local competitions. Bear in mind that competition will often require clubs to travel to away fixtures, investigate the travel times and costs before committing to league/competition entry. Try and organise ‘Friendly’ matches between local clubs before you enter leagues or competitions to prepare your team for competitive situations.

Use the support of volunteers. Sports clubs have one of the biggest volunteer workforces out of any mainstream activity in the UK. Consider what roles and responsibilities will be needed to run your club effectively, most community sports clubs will have a minimum of: an Organiser (chairperson), someone in charge of the finance (treasurer), someone in charge of the correspondence and information going to players and organisers (secretary). Within smaller clubs one person may take on multiple roles, within larger clubs further roles may be needed to share the workload. For more information on how to manage these roles check out the SportIslington link on the left side of this page, become a member and go to the ‘Resources for Clubs’ section.

Get Organised. Set clear objectives for your club, write a plan of action for the coming year/season. Set your club up as a constituted body. If you intend to be for the benefit of young or vulnerable groups, implement child protection and vulnerable adult procedures. Devise and implement a list of club rules and regulations. Insure your club against any possible risks. Set up an independent bank account in the name of the club with two required signatories. Hold regular meetings with the organising members, hold annual general meetings for all organising members to attend and stand for positions of responsibility. Attend training courses to help improve the running of the sports club. For the above policies and procedures please see examples at the bottom of this page, please see the SportIslington website for information on child protection protocols (members area). For training and further information on club governance see www.ivac.org and the Access to Sports pages (within 'Getting Involved') on the left side of this page.

 Secure Funding. Once all of the hard work is done you will be eligible to apply for funding for your club. Most funding bodies will not consider applications from sports clubs who do not have the above policies and procedures in place. Local grant funds such as SportIslington www.sportislington.co.uk and the Cripplegate foundation www.cripplegate.org offer funding to community clubs in the borough. Regional and National funds also offer grants to community clubs including: The awards for all fund www.awardsforall.org.uk, The Jack Petchey Fund www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk and sport specific funds: www.footballfoundation.org.uk.

Enjoy the fun. Congratulate yourself on helping to contribute to a healthier, fitter and more active Islington.