CLUBSFIRST ACCREDITATION FAQs
Here are ten FAQs about our ClubsFirst accreditation.
Does the Club have England Hockey’s ClubsFirst accreditation?
Yes we do. Our ClubsFirst accreditation was confirmed on 7th September 2010. Our certificate is on display on our Clubhouse notice board at Ottery Cricket Club. We are also entitled to use England Hockey Board’s ClubsFirst logo which is any easy to recognise symbol of our achievement.
How Long Does England Hockey’s ClubsFirst accreditation last?
Accreditation lasts 3 years, which means we will be reassessed in 2013.
What is ClubsFirst accreditation?
ClubsFirst is England Hockey’s kite mark accreditation for hockey clubs that have demonstrated they have the arrangements in place for members to play and participate in hockey in a safe effective and child friendly environment. ClubsFirst is aligned with Sport England’s Clubmark accreditation - recognised nationally by Sports’ National Governing Bodies, local government, education and the sporting industry.
It’s been a lot of work to achieve ClubsFirst accreditation, what benefits does it bring the Club?
In short, everyone benefits – but particularly the members of our newly formed Junior Academy. It offers parents interested in finding a club for their children to play hockey several attractive features. We are the only Club in the area recognised by the England Hockey Board as meeting its high standards. It also means that whenever we train or play competitive hockey there are arrangements in place to provide a safe and protected environment, with qualified coaches leading high quality training sessions for its members. A key spin-off is anticipated to be the Club’s eligibility for sport and community funding support for young people. We believe achievement of ClubsFirst indicates our commitment to bring long lasting benefits for the Club and the sporting community of Ottery St Mary and surrounding area.
What areas are covered by ClubsFirst accreditation?
The accreditation scheme focuses on developing four areas:
- Young People in Hockey – providing quality hockey coaching and competitions for players, coaches, umpires and leaders
- Safeguarding & Protecting Young People in Hockey – ensuring a safe, effective child friendly environment meeting all legal and moral duties
- Sports Equity and Ethics - making opportunities available (for players, officials, coaches, administrators, helpers etc.) to all members of the community
- Club Management - clubs that are well managed tend to be successful, with effective and efficient financial management and well informed volunteers and members.
What have we done to achieve ClubsFirst?
In short we have transformed the Club. We now have a Junior Academy and a Club-wide coaching syllabus. All our adult teams fall within our ClubsFirst arrangements. This ensures that juniors that play in our senior teams do so in a safe and protected environment. We have appointed two Club Welfare Officers who provide support to young people when required. We now have pitch-side first aid kits and have volunteers trained to use them. In the background we have implemented mandatory CRB checks for all key volunteers, essential child protection and emergency first aid training. To improve communication to our members we have developed our website and have produced a series of handbooks for junior and adult members, and all our volunteers. We have made a number of changes to the way we manage the Club and have recorded these in Club policies and procedures. We are also committed to develop our coaches, our umpires and support the development of our young Community Sports Leaders etc..
How are we developing links within our Community?
We have established very useful links with the England Hockey Board’s Regional staff and Active Devon – our County Sports Partnership. At a local level we have established a formal link with The King’s School, Ottery St Mary. We intend to broaden our community engagement, through this link, to its feeder primary schools. We have also increased our profile in the local press – with Club news and match reports through the season. We also have a Club website (www.otterycrickets.co.uk) which has lots of useful information about the Club’s activities.
I am interested in Becoming Involved With the Club, Can I Help?
The answer to that question is “yes”. Currently most of the Club’s duties are conducted by a group of adult volunteer members who give significant amounts of their time to enable our members to play our sport. If we are to develop we need more volunteers to step forward - parents of our junior members and also members of the local community who are not currently involved. You might be retired, or just interested in investing a little time to support a worthy community activity. Existing members can help too and we would like to increase support from our junior and senior players.
Support could come in a number of areas and every little helps, on the pitch and off. For some this could involve helping. For others it might involve supporting or even leading coaching, umpiring, junior team management or supporting the Club’s administration. There are no pre-requisites, other than a desire to help others.
In return the Club will provide support and training if necessary to help you develop the knowledge and any skills you require. Parents are asked to speak to their child’s coach or contact the Club if they want to help out. We know that without additional volunteer support we cannot improve the Club.
Can I Join In and Play Hockey Myself?
Of course! It’s a great way to get fit and stay healthy!! We are always interested in recruiting new players – junior or adult. So, instead of just standing on the sidelines, or thinking about returning to play why not do something about it? Don’t hesitate, even if it’s been a long time since you’ve wielded a stick. It’s not just for the supremely fit as we have teams for all abilities. You might choose to set yourself the goal of getting fit by training and not commit yourself to playing competitive hockey immediately – there’s something for everyone.
How Do I Contact the Club?
If you like the idea of playing a skilful fast flowing tactical game and have never played before, or if it’s been a long time since you’ve wielded a stick, you should contact Karen Dutton, our Club Secretary (kjdutton@tiscali.co.uk).
England Hockey Board (EHB) - the National Governing Body for hockey in England.
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