After a year of hard work from members in all sections of the club, Woking Hockey Club successfully passed their England Hockey "ClubsFirst" assessment on Friday, 31st July 2009 and are now proud holders of the prestigious ClubsFirst Award.
For the assessment, one of England Hockey's Development Officers came to the club and conducted a range of checks and interviews to ensure that the club provides a safe, effective and child friendly hockey environment.
The ClubsFirst award is a national recognition for clubs that can demonstrate that they are working towards minimum operating standards. All clubs achieving ClubsFirst also achieve the Sport England Clubmark accreditation, a nationally recognised award for sports clubs.
As part of the club's work towards achieving this award, a range of club policies and future objectives have been updated and developed. All these policies are available on the club's website, and include:
- Club Equity Policy
- Club Child Protection Policy
- Club Health and Safety Policy
- Codes of Conduct for Coaches, volunteers, spectators and parents
- Junior Club Rules
- Club Development Strategy for 2009 - 2013
- Year Action Plan for 2009/2010
Please take a look to make sure you are fully up to date with all the club's policies!
Linda Jacks, who led the club through the Award, is emphatic about the benefits to the club, saying "It's incredible how working through the requirements of the award ended up meaning we have overhauled the whole club. A major benefit is that it has stimulated increased communication between different sections of the club, and within the colts section, resulting in a new focus and determination to move the club forward."
The club will benefit in a number of additional ways:
- ClubsFirst accredited clubs are much more likely to receive funding from England Hockey or other funding sources. As the club is currently fundraising in order to replace one of their pitches the accreditation could not have been achieved at a better time.
- As part of the award requires the club to write a four year development strategy for the club and a one year action plan, it ensures that the club will retain its focus over the next four years and continue to develop.
- The club will be more attractive to new players and coaches seeking to move clubs, and it should thus aid recruitment.
- The award required the club to develop a season long coaching programme for the Colts section. This will ensure greater continuity between the age groups, and ultimately the transition into the senior section of the club, and will result in colts receiving improved and more structured coaching.
- Achieving the award confirms that the club meets the necessary child safety standards, particularly with regard to child protection policies and CRB (Criminal Record Bureau) checks for nominated volunteers working in the colts section.
- Over the last year, the club has run young umpire and coaching courses, which will ensure that it support their colts not only as players but as future coaches and officials. The club will now run such courses annually.
Please contact Linda Jacks (familyjacks@btinternet.com) if you have any questions about the award.
