Cycling Ireland has launched a new Club Development Framework to help support cycling clubs with key areas of club development and to review their current club operations.
With the important focus on governance, the guide is a useful reference point for volunteers sometimes wondering where to begin or needing assistance with running the rule over the way things are and have been done.
There are over 450 affiliated cycling clubs in Ireland and the aim of the framework is to support them and provide the assistance they require to continue the great work that they do.
The Cycling Ireland Club Development Framework provides each cycling club with a common direction to develop as a world-class cycling club, that forges strong partnerships, understands the needs of its members and the wider community, has strong leadership, has enough volunteers, and develops its volunteers, operate out of the right places and is valued within their local community.
That is a list of objectives that could easily apply in a multi-sporting environment.
The Club Development Framework is designed to be a guidance document and can be used by cycling clubs in whichever way they see fit to support them and enables all clubs to review their operations across 6 key areas of their club’s business:
1. Effective Club Management.
2. Inclusivity.
3. Quality Coaching and Competition.
4. Safeguarding Members.
5. Community Engagement.
6. Creating a Safe Environment.
Whilst these six key areas are not exhaustive, they are designed to share good practice, encourage innovation and new ways of thinking, and most importantly ensure all cycling clubs operate safely.
“The Club Framework Document has been produced to help support all Cycling Clubs with key areas of club development and to support the review of their current club operations,” said Cycling Ireland Club Development Officer Gary Lavery.
“Cycling Ireland Development Officers will support all clubs in their areas to ensure good practice and identify key steps for long term sustainability and to get more people cycling.”
The document is well written and of interest across the sporting spectrum.
Sport for Business Perspective
The objectives are universal in terms of how they apply to clubs across all sports.
Providing a list of tasks that can be tackled one by one or as part of an overall review of a club is a very positive way for the NGB to engage in areas that are top of the agenda at almost every club committee meeting.
