Setting up a new club. Updated March

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1 Setting up a new club Updated March

2 Setting up a new archery club The required elements of forming a club are not limited to the information contained in this guide but these are the basics to set up a simple structure to administer a club. There is plenty of guidance and advice available from Archery GB and other clubs and archers. Only one person is required to register the club, but it is recommended that the club should have at least a Secretary and Treasurer. Every shooting member must take out membership with Archery GB either as a Direct Member or by joining a club. It should be noted that officials in clubs do not need to be members of Archery GB if they are nonshooting members the secretary, treasurer, social secretary roles can all be done by non-shooting volunteers. Volunteers are covered by Archery GB s insurance policy for club activities. If they want to shoot or coach then they must become members. Club Name Pretty obvious but a club needs a name. We suggest something simple and straightforward. You will need to use it on publicity, websites and the club s bank account. If your club is a junior club based at or in conjunction with a school, include the word School in the club name. You should check with us to ensure that the club name that you are proposing does not clash with an existing club. Constitution A club needs a constitution and you are free to create a constitution that suits your own needs, providing always that the content of the constitution does not conflict with the Rules of Shooting, the Memorandum and Articles of Association and The Laws. It should also support the aims and objectives of the County and Regional Societies to which the club will affiliate and be approved by them. There is a model constitution available to download from the Archery GB website and your local County Association can also help. The constitution should be open and non-discriminatory. The constitution needs to be approved and adopted at the first meeting of the club. 2

3 Club Officials In a club committee, the Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer are usually the main three roles. However, clubs can have whatever roles they think necessary Child Protection Officer, Membership Secretary, Records Officer, Volunteer Coordinator, Tournament Organiser... Example job descriptions to tailor and adapt are available for the standard roles are available from the Archery GB website. Finance As a new club it will be very important to have funds to buy equipment, pay for facilities and affiliate to Archery GB, County and Region. Initially money will come from membership subscriptions. A club will need to set up a Bank/Building Society account in the name of the club and should have a minimum of two signatories for the signing of cheques. The Treasurer will maintain the books. Keeping a list of income and expenditure and ensuring that there is enough income to cover the outgoings. Having a receipt book, or computer programme (back-ups necessary) will help. Types of Clubs Within Archery GB s membership there are different types of clubs. Over time a club may have up to three separate clubs registered with Archery GB, but in essence this is for administrative purposes only. Archery GB is a membership based organisation, where each member pays a fee, except the en-bloc clubs where fees are payable by each club. Senior/Junior Open Club Anyone of any age can register through this club. Membership is available according to the club s constitution. Senior/Junior Closed Club Usually membership is restricted to the employees of a particular company or other reason. Junior en-bloc If you have three or more juniors it is more cost effective to register a Junior Club. For the purpose of administrating the club, up to two adults can be members of the junior club without additional charge. However, if these adults wish to shoot, they will need to become Archery GB members through a senior club or as a Direct Member. 3

4 Disabled En-bloc The eligibility of membership of disabled clubs is down to the club s constitution. Currently there is no fee to register this type of club with us. University En-bloc Usually closed clubs for those at College or University. This will be dependent on the club s membership and constitution. The current fees are for membership of each club are available on the Archery GB website. Affiliation To register a club with Archery GB, complete and return a Club Registration Sheet. We also recommend new clubs fill out a Shooting Venue form for a judge to inspect new venues and ensure they are safe for archery. To register the members of the club, complete the Member Details Form. To ensure that the terms and conditions of our insurance policy are complied with and to confirm the clubs/members status with the County and Region Associations, a Disclosure Form is also required by each club. The forms are available on the website or Membership Services details below - and when completed they need to be returned to the Membership Services office with relevant payment. A copy should also be sent to the relevant County and Region Associations together with payment of these fees. Transferring Clubs If a club member wishes to transfer clubs after they have paid their annual fee, refer them to Law 9 (b) (i), available to read on the website. Providing they advise you that they have or will comply with this Law then they can join your club. The new club is required to send a Member Details Form to Membership Services with the details of the transferring member. A new card is not necessary unless the member requests one at a cost of Insurance By affiliating to Archery GB, members are covered by the public liability insurance and all members and clubs must follow the Rules of Shooting. New clubs receive a copy of the Rules of Shooting and the Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults policy when first registering. Policy for Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults Archery GB accepts a moral responsibility to implement procedures to provide a duty of care for children, young people and vulnerable adults, to safeguard the well being of children, young people and vulnerable adults and protect them from physical, sexual or emotional harm and from neglect and or bullying. 4

5 The Policy for Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults has been put in place by Archery GB and sets out the principles and procedures to be adopted by archery clubs. It is an insurance regulation that clubs implement this policy. Club Secretaries must ensure that the policy is accessible to all members of the club including child protection officers, officials, coaches, direct members, children, young people, vulnerable adults and parents/carers. It is highly recommended that every Archery GB club should have a person with designated responsibility for children, young people and vulnerable adult s welfare and protection. It is also highly recommended that they have a formal role on the Club s Management Committee. For more information visit - Venues & Facilities No archery club can exist without a place to shoot and it is likely that you will have at least explored the availability of an outdoor range or an indoor range, or both. The options available will depend upon the kind of archery that you are contemplating. The majority of clubs start with target archery but some go directly into the field discipline. Wherever you shoot you must abide by the Rules of Shooting. The Rules will guide you as to the space required and in particular the safe distances that must be allowed for overshooting, clear guidance as to the exclusion of the public from the field and the distances at which safety boundaries must be set. Adherence to the Rules of Shooting, emphasis on safety and the availability of insurance will be of great assistance in negotiating the use of a suitable venue. To accommodate a largish archery event it would need a target archery field in excess of 200 metres square. It is more usual to look for a moderate sized ground for club use and to hire a larger field as necessary for bigger events. The field should be flat(ish), well drained and mowed and with a surface firm enough to withstand traffic but soft enough not to damage arrows that miss the target. 5

6 Other things to consider include: The direction of shooting should ideally be North or North East Secure fencing (to keep out the public while you are shooting) Boundary hedges (to reduce the effect of the wind) Access (especially remembering that archery is practiced by many people with disabilities) and parking Toilet facilities Secure storage Catering facilities (simple things as a brew up on club night and to be able to entertain visiting clubs) It is possible to set up some limited field facilities in almost any area, but a full field course may require some 10 to 14 acres and great care is required in setting out the course to ensure that it is safe for the archers, for spectators and for the general public. Shooting indoors requires similar general safety principles but in addition you must remember that an arrow that misses a target is likely to damage the building structure and so a closely woven catch net should be provided behind the targets. The County Association can provide specific facility guidance, help assisting in setting out the field and Judges can complete the Shooting Venue Form (see above) to certify new shooting venues or changes in current ones,. There is also A guide to setting up an archery range available from the Archery GB website. Risk Assessments The Archery Range Health and Safety Policy is available from the Archery GB website. A dynamic risk management must be carried out on an archery range. The main responsibility lies with the appointed Field Captain - usually the most experienced archer present. Everyone using the range should monitor conditions and ensure the risk assessment is always relevant, and that safety rules are in place and complied with. If safe conditions cannot be maintained for both archers and the general public, shooting should not start or continue if already underway. The policy helps users identify the site specific hazards (e.g. requirement for safety barriers) and time specific (e.g. weather) hazards, assess the risks and then take suitable control measures to control the risk in order to use the range in a safe manner. It is highly recommended that risk assessments are carried out for all club events. If an incident was to occur the Insurers may ask to look at a copy of the risk assessment for that club event. 6

7 Informal shooting When any shooting is in progress there must be a minimum of two people present each 18 years of age or older, one of whom may be a non-archer to act as a lookout. The archer is responsible to inform the lookout of all safety aspects applicable. Where two adult archers are present and shooting together they will alternate on the shooting line so that the non-shooting archer can act as the lookout. Coaches You must ensure that an experienced archer leads club sessions. If you have no experienced people in your start-up group then ask your local County Association for assistance. If you are a club archer or active volunteer who is enthusiastic about introducing new people to the sport and helping them to improve, then the Level 1 Award in Coaching Archery will give you all the skills, experience and resources that you need. Equipment/Kit Equipment for a new archery club need not be expensive. You may be able to access local grants or funding from your local Council, County Sports Partnership or lottery funding. Local businesses are often a good source for sponsorship of local team kits. Download our Funding Guide by visiting Where to go for advice Archery GB has templates, guidance and contact details for the various county and regional associations and other sporting bodies. The Development Team help and support clubs and archers wanting to develop and improve. Archery GB s Membership Services Officers are key people to liaise with. They will process your club s membership forms each year. The Insurance Officer will issue a copy of the public liability insurance certificate to clubs upon request and forms to register new club venues are available from the website. 7

8 The Secretary of your local County Association will be able to explain many things. They will be able to introduce you to other local clubs, sometimes lend equipment and generally provide support via an existing, competent network of help. Your local authority will probably have a Sports Development Officer who may be able to assist in getting the club started and in particular in provide information on sports centres, schools and other venues at which you may be able to shoot. Other people to make contact with are your nearest schools and the County Sports Partnership all of whom can supply different information. Useful contact details: General Enquiries Helen Smedley Tel: enquiries@archerygb.org Membership Services Helen Eccleston Tel: helen.eccleston@archerygb.org Officer Safeguarding & Anne Rook Tel: anne.rook@archerygb.org Insurance Officer Participation / Funding Arran Coggan Tel: arran.coggan@archerygb.org & Club Development 8

9 Checklist for setting up a club Get members/potential members together to form the club Decide Club Name Write club constitution Organise AGM and vote in officials Get bank account Register with Archery GB & return forms including Member Details Form (Excel), Direct Member Application, Club Registration & Disclosure Forms Have a Judge assess potential venue(s) Register with County/Region Apply for funding for equipment/purchase suitable kit and equipment Advertise for new members Archery GB is the trading name of the Grand National Archery Society, a company limited by guarantee no Registered in England. 9

10 Archery GB Lilleshall National Sports & Conferencing Centre Newport Shropshire TF10 9AT General Enquiries: Tel: Fax: