PLEASE NOTE: Warwick Sport can not accept any new clubs in the immediate future. Please read below to understand the reasoning.
In recent weeks the Warwick Sport Management Group has been discussing the establishment of new club. It has taken in to account:
a.) The demand for new clubs: We need to assess whether there is a gap in what Warwick Sport offers, and whether there is sufficient interest for it.
b.) The financial situation of Warwick Sport: Warwick Sport is still a relatively new organisation. As such it is still paying back set- up costs to both the Union and the University. It is also important to note that Warwick Sport does not aim to make a profit, and as such works hard to break even.
c.) Facilities: The demand on facilities is currently at breaking point; each year clubs want more facility time and individuals increasingly complain if they can not book facilities for casual play.
d.) The current clubs: We need to assess what effect the creation of a new club will have on the current clubs. This is particularly with regards to facilities and finances. After considering all these factors it has been decided that Warwick Sport cannot currently accept ANY new clubs (over the current number of 76) because it is not currently in a position to allocate any more funds or accept another club that will have equal demand and right to sports centre facilities and administration time. It was decided that the creation of new clubs would not only put increased strain on such amenities but also have a detrimental affect on the current clubs.
This bar will apply to all potential new clubs, with no more accepted for the immediate future (unless in exceptional circumstances, such as the creation of a club that does not require any facility time or finances). This will be continually re-assessed as the situation within Warwick Sport changes. Over the next few years it is highly likely that the situation will change significantly with the potential creation of new facilities (such as a 50m swimming pool and accompanying facility additions) and increased finances (after Warwick Sport has paid off its debt). Furthermore if a sports club stops existing (due, for example, to lack of interest or poor organisation) then it is also possible that a new club will be accepted.
During this time trial clubs may still be accepted, please talk to the Sports Officer (sports@sunion.warwick.ac.uk) to assess the possibility.
SETTING UP A NEW SPORTS CLUB Background
· Every year there are requests from students to set up new sports clubs. At the beginning of the 2007-08 academic year, for example, there were requests from clay pigeon shooting, ninjutsu, armwrestling, handball, Capoeira, and Gaelic football
· Warwick Sport fully supports students who have the drive and enthusiasm to set up and run and new club. However, an increase in sports clubs increases the demand on facilities and funding
· There therefore needs to be a set process for setting up new clubs. This process is outline below and applies to all sports clubs within Medic Sport as well as individual clubs
Process
IMPORTANT: Due to the budgeting process it is recommended you follow steps 1-5 in the FIRST TERM. This means that if your club proposal is passed you will be able to take part in the budgeting process in the second term and therefore have financial backing and support from Warwick Sport for the following academic year.
1.) If you want to set up a sports club you should first speak to the Sports Officer. She/ he will advise you about whether the club should be a club or a society, and outline the process from then on
2.) If you decide to proceed you should then draw up a proposal. This should outline:
- the club aims
- what benefit it would be to students
- financial and facility requirements
- potential interest (including the signatures of thirty people who will definitely join and support the club)
- long term aims
- sustainability and longevity of the club: how it will continue after the proposer has left
…and so on. Please see the “Example proposal” for an idea of the sort of thing you should be aiming for. Please note this is only an example: length and content is entirely up to you.
3.) Hand your proposal in to the Sports Officer who will take the proposal to the Student Sport Committee. They will decide whether “trial club” status (which lasts for one term to assess interest and organisation) should be granted or not.
If you DON’T receive trial club status the Sports Officer will contact you to let you know why the proposal wasn’t passed.
If you DO receive trial club status:
- Warwick Sport will support you through advertising in Warwick Sport emails and by giving you online club status which will enable people to join the trial club (there will be no cost to join a trial club but membership will mean you are on the mailing list and that Warwick Sport can monitor the trial club’s popularity).
- The Sports Centre will allocate you facilities based on availability: trial clubs will not take priority over clubs that are already running. This status will be assessed on a termly basis depending on attendance and organisation and should be arranged through Terry Monnington (t.monnington@warwick.ac.uk)
- Warwick Sport will NOT give you any funding whilst you are a trial club
- Please note all standard Warwick Sport rules about coaches apply: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/warwicksport/officer/coaching/
4.) After one term the Sports Officer will present the proposal and supporting evidence from the trial club sessions to the Student Sport Committee. They will either:
a.) Decide it is not viable and offer comments to the proposer about why it was refused
b.) Pass it up to the Warwick Sport Management Group with the recommendation it become a sports club
5.) If passed the Warwick Sport Management Group will consider the proposal and the recommendations of the Student Sport Committee. There is no guarantee they will agree with the committee but their advice will play a large part in the decision making
If passed
· If passed the Sports Officer will help you get your club up and running. This will include setting you up with an email account and explaining about important processes involved in running a club
· Please note Warwick Sport CANNOT allocate you a budget or any funds until the budgeting process takes place in the second term. If you are allocated funds you will receive them for the next academic year. If you are interested in finding alternative sources of funding please see this page and talk to the Sports Officer for further information: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/warwicksport/officer/funding/
Please contact the Sports Officer for more information: sports@sunion.warwick.ac.uk