Support and advice for Oxfordshire's clubs
We know that clubs are the backbone of physical activity and sport, and now more than ever we want to provide a one-stop shop of useful advice, links and resources to help Oxfordshire's clubs thrive.
Training courses for clubs
We've put together some useful links for club training and courses below:
https://www.leapwithus.org.uk/for-clubs/training-and-courses/
https://getberkshireactive.org/training-and-courses-for-clubs
UK Coaching also provides a wide range of online courses:
https://www.ukcoaching.org/courses
Club Matters is a One Stop Shop of support for sports clubs providing learning and guidance on all aspects of running a club whether it is large, small, formal or informal. They are also partnering with Sported to deliver a series of online seminars relating to club operations. To read more and register, visit:
Club Governance
Strong clubs have effective, open and transparent governance practices in place. This video is a great starting point to what good governance looks like and how to achieve it in your club.
Below is a link to the Club Organisational Structures on-line module:
https://learn.sportenglandclubmatters.com/course/view.php?id=5#section-2
Health and safety matters
Health and safety laws should not be a barrier to organising and running amateur sports activities that are an important part of community life.
Whilst the safety of those participating in sport and using sports facilities is paramount, the Health and Safety Executive advocate a common-sense approach to managing risk, dispel a number of myths and give guidance on how clubs can take reasonable steps to minimise genuine risk.
Please see below for guidance on running a safe sports club:
https://www.hse.gov.uk/entertainment/leisure/amateur-sports-club.htm
Sustainable clubs
By making changes to become more environmentally sustainable, club energy bills can be reduced by 10-20%. This could mean an annual saving of over £2,500, which can be fed directly back into sport.
The link below has plenty of excellent information and resources on how to improve environmental sustainability at your sports club:
Volunteering
Most of our clubs are reliant on the energy, passion and dedication of volunteers. This section provides useful resources about how best to recruit and manage volunteers at your club.
Did you Know?
- Under 35s volunteer more than any other generation.
- 68% of volunteers say that their volunteering benefits their mental health.
- 52% of volunteers say volunteering helps them overcome loneliness. This goes up to 64% for those aged 25-34. It's important to recognise that loneliness is prevalent in young people and not just a challenge for an older population.
- Skills are important to younger people: 40% of 16-24 year olds say they volunteer to gain new skills and experience.
Data from the 2019 British Heart Foundation Gift of Time volunteer survey (2,001 respondents)
Useful links on volunteering in clubs:
Sport and Recreation Alliance: GIVERS Full Framework:
https://www.sportandrecreation.org.uk/pages/volunteering-introducing-givers
Sport England Volunteering Strategy:
Cover image from Department of Health/Make Sport Fun
Sported
The UK's largest network of community groups – our network is open to any community group using sport or physical activity to make a difference to young peoples lives. We provide groups with professional expertise, resources, and operational support, FREE of charge to help them survive and thrive.
See if your club group is eligible to join and receive support https://sported.org.uk/members/
