What is Clubmark?
Clubmark - ECB and Sport England working together to help your club get the recognition it deserves.
If your club takes the welfare of its junior members seriously and wants to provide a junior section that is recognised as well organised, then ECB Clubmark accreditation scheme is for you.
Benefits of Clubmark
Clubmark has been developed with Sport England to set down a set of simple criteria and a support process for you to work through that will enable you to gain accreditation. Clubmark will benefit your club in a number of ways such as:
- Support from your CDO and County Cricket Board.
- Support from your Sports Development Officer.
- Support from your County Sports Partnership (CSP).
- Help with long term planning.
- Help promote your club to the local community.
- Help with advice and applying for grant aid.
- Help to develop your coaches and volunteers.
- Priority for grant aid sources such as the Community Club Development Fund.
More importantly the Clubmark logo can be carried on any club literature and promotional materials which confirms your commitment to a safe child friendly junior section which will appeal to:
- Local parents
- Local school teachers
- Local community groups
- Funding agencies
- Local Authority Sports Development Teams
- Commercial sponsors
How to register for Clubmark
Getting your club registered for the Clubmark scheme could not be easier. Just contact your local Cricket Development Officer and ask for a registration form.
What are the expectations of Clubmark?
You will be expected to fulfil specific criteria based around the following areas:
- Duty of care and child welfare
- Coaching and competition
- Sports equity and ethics
- Club management
- What to expect once registered?
Once registered ECB will send you the following to help you work towards Clubmark:
- A Cricket Assessment file that outlines the key criteria that you need to produce to show you have met the criteria.
- A Resource Pack that gives you much of the information you will need to use to gain Clubmark accreditation such as copies of:
- A Model Club Constitution
- Codes of conduct
- Equity policy
- Volunteer job descriptions
- Accident report forms
- Attendance registers
In addition LCB and your County Sports Partnership will be able to offer you free and/or heavily subsidised places on some key training courses aimed at bringing you and your coaches/volunteers up to date with the latest Child Welfare issues.
There are no time limits for the completion of Clubmark accreditation. Every club will be different in the people it has available and for some clubs it may take a few months - for others it may take longer - your club drives the pace.
LCB currently has over a hundred clubs registered and 45 clubs that have achieved Clubmark status. See the latest list of registered clubs and accredited clubs by selecting the links.
The following is an extract from the Lancashire Spin magazine written by Mr AN Hayhurst, Director of the LCB:
“For sometime now, many people have been aware of “Clubmark”, Cricket Development Groups and Focus Clubs. There has been some criticism of the LCB for apparently creating a two-tier system where some clubs appear to get more favourable treatment than others. Now is the time to put the record straight!
This stems from the need for the sport to be funded correctly. Sport England will not accept or support funding applications from clubs that do not meet certain criteria. Clubs, should, at the very least, attend the local CDG, be working towards Clubmark and have ECB qualified coaches in a junior section. Every Club has the opportunity to do this…those that don’t will miss out. Funds come from other bodies, not the LCB, and this message must be heeded.
As a progressive sport, cricket is at the forefront in developing youngsters in this country. It is not fair to say that juniors do not play in schools and clubs, but it is equally unfair to expect juniors (and money!) to come your way if you sit back and do nothing. Be warned, it might seem a harsh message, but clubs in particular must be prepared to help themselves in today’s current climate. I expect a surge in popularity (Clubmark) and hopefully, a surge in funding opportunities in the next few years----DON’T MISS OUT.”
Its not just a paper exercise
Clubmark is not just a paper exercise and emphasis should be put on ‘implementing’ the policies and procedures that clubs produce. What clubs do off the pitch always translates to what occurs on it. Finally accreditation status lasts for 3 years.
Gerry Thomas (gthomas@myerscough.ac.uk)
Cricket Support Officer
Lancashire Sport
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