The Club Hub

Everyone involved in sport and physical activity should be able to take part or volunteer without fear of abuse or harassment. Ensuring your organisation does everything it can to safeguard children and adults from harm is essential.

We can all play a part in helping to keep others safe.

Everyone involved in your organisation should know who to contact and what to do if they have any concerns.

Further safeguarding  guidance is available on the Club Matters Website.

Upcoming Safeguarding Courses

UK Coaching Safeguarding and Protecting Children

Available courses:

• 11th October
• 31st October
• 13th November
• 23rd November
• 12th December

FIND OUT MORE

Safeguarding & Protecting Children 16 – 18 (Online Classroom) – This online classroom, developed in partnership with the Child Protection Sport Unit (CPSU) of the NSPCC, has been created specifically for coaches aged 16 to 18 years old.

Click here for available courses.

NSPCC Safeguarding Courses

Child protection in sport and physical activity training 0nline Click here

Introduction to safeguarding and child protection training Click here

Ann Craft Trust Safeguarding Adults in Sport – Essential Training for Club Welfare/Safeguarding Officers.

Available courses: 

• 19th October 2023: to book
• 14th November 2023: to book
• 11th December 2023: to book

Ann Craft Trust E Safeguarding courses – all online 

Click here to book

This session includes how to identify concerns, respond to concerns and disclosures and how to create a safe culture within a sport or activity club setting.

Other Course Providers

• NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children)
• Child Protection In Sport Unit (CPSU)
• Introduction to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s),
• Prevent duty training: Learn how to support people vulnerable to radicalisation
• UK Coaching Safeguarding and Protecting Children

Useful links and contacts

• Safeguarding Adults at Risk – Ann Craft Trust
• Safeguarding Children and Young people – NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) or CPSU (Child Protection In Sport Unit)
• Coventry Safeguarding Children Board
• Solihull Local Safeguarding Children Partnership
• Warwickshire Safeguarding

Think Active Safeguarding Policy

For information on the Think Active Safeguarding Policy please visit our safeguarding page.

For up to date legislation and guidance on Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) visit the following website.

If you are unsure what level DBS checks you need to carry out on your staff, coaches and volunteers you can get in touch with your regional DBS outreach officer who will be able to offer you support and guidance. The following website details information on the DBS Outreach Officers.

A safer recruitment process should be used by anyone undertaking a role that involves children or vulnerable adults.  Statutory guidance states that those in the education, community and care sectors should have policies and procedures in place to ensure that the people that are volunteering or working for them are suitable for the role.

It is important that clubs have effective recruitment and selection processes ensuring they create a safe workforce within their club.

The Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) has lot of advice and guidance as to how clubs can achieve a safer recruitment process.

Volunteers are essential to the running of clubs and groups but recruiting and retaining volunteers can be a challenge.  The Club Matters website has great resources on a host of topics including recruiting and retaining volunteers.  Locally WCAVA also have information regarding local volunteering opportunities and advice for clubs and groups.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) is an important part of the work we do at Think Active.

If you would like to learn more about ED&I, the following organisations offer resources or training:

• Sport Structure – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Training
• Inclusive Employers – Inclusive Sport Team
• Sport England – Information
• UK Coaching – Equality in Sport and Physical Activity (Online Classroom)
• Sport and Recreational Alliance – Inclusivity Hub
• Club Matters – Understanding the Equality Act
• Stonewall – Top tips for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport

Club Matters is a Sport England Lottery funded programme which offers free resources and workshops to grassroots sports clubs, groups and organisations and those who work with them.

The information available covers the following topics:

• Coronavirus resources
• Facility development
• Financial management
• Governance
• Participant development
• Planning for your future
• Volunteer development
• Welfare and safeguarding

To find information on these topics, visit the Club Matters website.

Upcoming courses

Participant Experience workshop – click to book

Thursday 17th August | 19:00 – 21:00

During this interactive workshop, we’ll explore the intricacies of creating an exceptional participant experience. Our expert facilitators will guide you through essential strategies and best practices that enable you to cater to the unique needs of your participants. By understanding their motivations, preferences, and goals to ensure that every interaction at your club leaves a lasting impact.

Raising money to sustain your organisation – Webinar – click to book

• Wednesday 9th August | 19:00 – 20:15
• Wednesday 30th august | 12:00 – 13:15

Identify different ways to raise money and work through the ‘dos and dont’s’ of grant funding, understanding where to look for grant funding.

Organisation Governance -Share & Learn Community of Practice – click to book

Monday 14th August | 12:45 – 14:00

The session will consider current practice, governance effectiveness and actions to aid the improvement of your organisational vision. It is an interactive session with delegates participating in discussions and considering organisational scenarios.

Financial Planning Webinar – click to book

Wednesday 16th August | 19:00 – 20:15

Identify the factors that make an organisation financially sustainable along with the principles of financial planning to support sustainability while Identifying the financial obligations that come with running an organisation.

UK Coaching is an organisation that support’s people who enable others to be active. One of their essential offers is to develop coaches and collaborate with organisations to collate resources.

The UK Coaching website offers a range of resources including access to events and training designed for coaches.  There is also information about job opportunities, discounts and insurance options.

To find out more, visit the UK Coaching website.

Sported is an organisation which helps to support local people running grassroot clubs by providing resources, operational support and professional expertise.  This service is offered free of charge, by supporting clubs to survive, allows them to help young people to thrive. Sported’s ambition is to strengthen local workforces and build resilience to enable groups to improve people’s wellbeing, tackle inequalities and bring communities together.

Sported support groups to address challenges, with knowledge of best practice, they can offer a bespoke package of support to enable groups to deliver into the future.

Some of the services available include:

• 1:1 support
• Sported Hub – platform of resources
• Webinars
• Funding Bulletins
• Grant Distribution

Sported is the largest network of community sports group across the UK.

Find out more on the Sported website.

Voluntary Action Coventry

Voluntary Action Coventry supports organisation in Coventry to build resilience and capacity within communities to improve the quality of life of people living in the city.

Some of the services they provide include:

• Brokerage of volunteer opportunities
• Supporting volunteers
• Information and advice
• Healthwatch Coventry

To find out more, visit Voluntary Action Coventry’s website.

Warwickshire & Solihull Community and Voluntary Action Group (WCAVA)

WCAVA is the Voluntary Community Sector (VCS) Infrastructure Organisaton for Warwickshire and Solihull.  They provide support to a wide range of not-for-profit groups and volunteers who are working with our local communities.

They offer a range of help and advice to groups including:

• Project and business planning
• Training and events
• Back office support service
• Funding advice

To find out more, visit the WCAVA website.

The government is inviting community organisations to bid for funding for a defibrillator for their area.  Organisations can submit an expression of interest via the government online form.