Bowling News
Does your club need money for a new project? What do you mean you haven't got any projects? What kind of club doesn't constantly work towards improving aspects of their club? Standing still means actually you are going backwards. Don't get left behind. Don't you have a series of projects lined up at home? If you don't then your wife surely will have, in my experience.
All wives have plans for what they want to do with their home from a lick of paint here and there right up to a two-tier extension. In my experience the women of the home always have plans for improvements. So if you haven't got a project for your bowling club then just take your wife there one day and ask them what they think should be done to improve the club. I can guarantee within 15 minutes you will have a list in priority order with cost estimates alongside and the names and contact details of firms that specialise in such work.
Recently we published an article on the BCGBA supported Club Health Checker which may also give you some pointers as to what areas your club needs to improve on which may go some way to setting your priorities and topping up your wish list.
So once you have this list of priority order projects who is going to pay for it. There are lots of schemes that you can tap into, to part or fully fund club improvements but it does take a little time in putting your proposals over to the governing bodies that dish out the dosh.
You are unlikely to get a grant to meet your club's day-to-day running costs but if you have plans for improving your club facilities then there are many funding schemes open to you. These schemes don't usually expect you to use your own money, they would normally fully fund an approved project. It just takes a bit of time and effort to prepare a successful bid.
I know a man who will prepare and submit bids on behalf of sports clubs at no cost to the club. He only deals in schemes bidding for funds in excess of £250,000. He builds into the bid a project manager position which has a £30,000 price tag. Should the bid be successful then he will assume the Project Manager position and run the project from start to finish on behalf of the club and take the £30,000 allocation.
Before you even start approaching these cash-rich bodies for support you need to have the backup of documents to support any bid with a chance of success. This is where you can get help in improving your position and chances of a successful bid. Sports National Governing Bodies (NGB's) have worked together to provide some guidance and support for clubs in this area. Read on
Welcome to 'Club Ideas & Governance'.
It's a long post to start with BUT, if your serious about developing and improving your Club, this one is absolutely essential. Without having this right, you'll find it VERY difficult to obtain any significant sized grants. Read it....share it with your Club Committee....research it.....and, if needed, reach out by email to us (region1@bcgba.org.uk). We're here to help and support, but the starting point for YOUR Club has to be YOU.
Having a good governance structure within your Club is an essential criterion of a modern-day Sports Club. To develop and enable you to carry out projects where you require funding, it is always advisable to make sure that you are compliant with Sport England’s ‘Code for Sports Governance’. Launched in 2016, the Code has been applied to more than 4,000 organisations across its three ‘Tiers’ of funding and has provided a standard framework of governance for a wide and diverse range of national, regional, and local bodies, community groups and charities providing sport and physical activity opportunities.
The full ‘Code’ can be found on Sport England’s website, and forms part of their 10-year development plan ‘Uniting the Movement’.
The ‘Code for Sports Governance’ sets out a number of mandatory requirements for organisations seeking investment from Sport England, UK Sport, or both. It is divided into three ‘Tiers’, corresponding to different levels and types of investment. ‘A Code for Sports Governance – Tier 1’ is designed for organisations which are applying for investment and represents the minimum level of mandatory governance requirements that funded organisations must achieve. The requirements seek to ensure the protection of public funding through good governance processes, without being unreasonably onerous. Sport England and UK Sport will generally require an organisation to meet Tier 1 of the Code if they are receiving an investment which meets the following criteria:
• It is granted on a one-off basis (for example, for a specific project which has a fixed end date); and
• The total amount of funding is typically between £10,000 and £250,000.
As a Bowls Club, in almost every circumstance, your Club will be defined as Tier 1.
'A Code for Sports Governance' uses a framework of five ‘Principles’ of good governance. They are:
1. Structure
2. People
3. Communication
4. Standards and Conduct
5. Policies and Processes
The ‘Principles’ provide the framework for good governance. Under each of the ‘Principles’ there are mandatory requirements. The number of mandatory requirements under each ‘Principle’ increases depending on the ‘Tier’ an organisation is required to meet.
The full wording of the Principles, and an explanation of their importance, is below:
1. Structure
Organisations shall have a clear and appropriate governance structure, led by a Board/Management Committee, which is collectively responsible for the long-term success of the organisation, and exclusively vested with the power to lead it. The Board/Management Committee shall be properly constituted and shall operate effectively.
Why is this important?
The right governance structure, with decisions made at the right level, enables the best decisions to be made to drive the success of the organisation. Having an appropriate governance structure demonstrates to all stakeholders that the organisation is well managed. This is key to winning the confidence of staff, suppliers and potential investors and also provides a framework for organisational growth and development.
2. People
Organisations shall recruit and engage people with diversity of background, thought, independence, skills and experience to take effective decisions that further the organisation’s goals and best serve their communities, stakeholders and wider UK society.
Why is this important?
Diverse, skilled, and experienced decision-making bodies which contain independent voices and engage in constructive and inclusive debate enable good decision-making and help create trust with stakeholders.
3. Communication
Organisations shall be transparent and accountable, engaging effectively with stakeholders and nurturing internal democracy.
Why is this important?
Being responsive to stakeholders, understanding their interests and hearing their voices, helps shape the organisation’s governance and strategy. Transparency about why the organisation exists, what it is trying to do, how it is doing it, and with what results, empowers stakeholders by giving them the information about the organisation that they need to know.
4. Standards and Conduct
Organisations shall uphold high standards of integrity, promote an ethical and inclusive culture, and engage in regular and effective evaluation to drive continuous improvement.
Why is this important?
Having the right values embedded in the culture of the organisation helps protect public investment and also enhances the reputation of the organisation, earning stakeholder trust. Constantly seeking to improve makes an organisation swift to respond to new challenges and opportunities.
5. Policies and Processes
Organisations shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations; consider the social and environmental impact of their decisions; undertake responsible financial strategic planning; and have appropriate controls and risk management procedures.
Why is this important?
Understanding the legal environment, factoring in socio-environmental considerations when making decisions, and having in place appropriate financial and other controls help mitigate risk and enhance stakeholder trust and organisational reputation.
So, what does this mean for your Club?
Let’s keep it simple and easy to understand. You’ve completed your ‘Club Health Checker’ and created your ‘Club Development Plan’, so how do you ensure that your governance is acceptable? If you follow these key points, you should be on the right track:
• Club Constitution – you need to have a Club Constitution which details how your Club operates and is governed. Within this document, there should also be a ‘Dissolution Clause’ to define what happens if the Club should cease to exist. There are some specific rules around these, especially if your Club is established as a non-profit/Charity organisation.
• Club Committee Structure – the key to complying with ‘Tier 1’ guidance is that you must have three ‘Trustees’ or ‘Responsible Persons’ fulfilling the three main roles within your Club. For example, this could be Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer. As good practice and governance, these roles should not be combined and should always be undertaken be three different, non-related, individuals.
• Committee Meetings – these should be held (and documented) on a regular basis. Good practice would advise them to be quarterly, and details of how they run should be clearly outlined within the Club Constitution.
• Club Bank Account and Accounts – it is essential to hold a Club bank account in exactly the same name as is detailed within your Club Constitution. All Club accounts should be prepared annually and should be available for review by all of your membership.
• Code of Conduct – you should have a ‘Code of Conduct’ as part of the membership criteria to your Club. This document gives a solid framework that all members abide by and is there in case of any issues that may arise.
• Inclusion Policy – all Clubs should have an inclusion policy as part of their governance.
• Safeguarding Policy – this is also an essential document forming part of your Club governance.
Some excellent safeguarding document templates can be found through the Bowls Development Alliance. website.
By ensuring that your Club has good governance, and adopts good practices, the path to achieving funding will become much smoother. It may seem cumbersome at first, but it is well worth the effort to have the right structures in place.
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