How to start a sports club in the UK

Starting a sports club, step by step

1. Decide what the club is for

   Which sport, who for (adults, juniors, beginners, a particular community), where, and how often. Write it down in a sentence; it becomes the objects clause in your constitution and the first line of every grant application.

2. Get a founding group together

   You can’t run a club alone. At the first meeting, agree to form the club and elect at least a chair, secretary and treasurer, and a welfare officer if juniors will take part. Funders look for unrelated committee members: Sport England’s Movement Fund asks for at least three.

3. Adopt a constitution

   Check whether your sport’s governing body has a model constitution first; if not, start from our constitution template. Adopt it at the first meeting and have the officers sign it. Most small clubs start as unincorporated associations, where committee members can be personally liable, so read about the alternatives if you plan to employ staff or take on a lease (Buddle: legal structures).

4. Open a club bank account

   Open an account in the club’s name, never a member’s, with at least two signatories who aren’t related. Banks usually ask for the constitution and the minutes of the meeting that elected the officers. Sport England’s club support service has a guide to setting up club finances (Buddle).

5. Affiliate to your governing body

   Affiliation usually brings insurance, access to leagues and competitions, coach education, safeguarding support and model documents. Some funders and venues expect it. Contact your sport’s national governing body, or its county or regional association.

6. Get insured

   Public liability insurance isn’t required by law, but venues and leagues usually insist on it, and it often comes with affiliation. Check it covers volunteers, officials and spectators as well as players (Buddle). If the club employs anyone, such as a coach on the payroll, employers’ liability insurance with cover of at least £5 million is a legal requirement in England, Scotland and Wales (gov.uk); Northern Ireland has its own rules. Consider cover for equipment too.

7. Put safeguarding in place

   If children or adults at risk will take part, appoint a welfare officer, adopt a safeguarding policy and get the right criminal records checks: DBS in England and Wales, PVG in Scotland, AccessNI in Northern Ireland. Checks are free for volunteers. NSPCC Sport has free guidance for clubs. It is good practice to have a trained first-aider at every session.

8. Find a venue

   Leisure centres, schools, church and village halls and council pitches all hire to clubs. Read the hire agreement for what insurance and risk assessments the venue expects, check the cancellation terms, and ask about a block booking for the season.

9. Set subs and decide how to collect them

   Work out what the club will spend in a year (venue, affiliation, insurance, coaching, equipment), then set subs to cover it with a little in reserve. Offer a concession for people who can’t afford the full rate. Collecting by Direct Debit or card saves the treasurer chasing cash and bank transfers each month.

10. Sign members up properly

    Use a membership form that collects emergency contacts, medical information with consent, photo consent and parent details for juniors, with a short privacy notice. Many clubs don’t need to pay the ICO data protection fee, but the rest of data protection law still applies (ICO).

11. Decide about CASC or charity status

    Registering with HMRC as a Community Amateur Sports Club brings tax relief, Gift Aid on donations and 80% business rates relief, if the club is open to all with affordable fees (gov.uk). Some clubs register as charities instead: in England and Wales a charity must register once its income reaches £5,000 a year (Charity Commission), while in Scotland (OSCR) and Northern Ireland (CCNI) the rules differ. A club has to choose one or the other.

12. Sort out tax, and keep records from day one

    An unincorporated club pays Corporation Tax on profits from trading with non-members and from investments, and must register with HMRC within three months of starting to receive that income (HMRC). Keep a ledger from the first payment; our free treasurer spreadsheet is built for exactly this.

Once the basics are in place, look at grants for sports clubs: most small funds want a constitution, a club bank account and a safeguarding policy before they will consider an application.

Questions

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