What is Clubmark?

Clubmark is an accreditation scheme for high quality junior sports clubs. It is managed by Knight, Kavanagh & Page on behalf of Sport England and sets the standard for all high quality sports clubs in England.

What does Clubmark stand for?

Clubmark stands for higher standards of safety, fairness, coaching and management. That way the nation's sports club infrastructure will be safer, stronger and more successful.

This means that a club that has been awarded Clubmark has achieved minimum operating standards in safeguarding and protecting children, quality coaching, equal opportunities and good management.

In essence, a club that qualifies for Clubmark is a well run club which is ACTIVE and ACCESSIBLE. This means that getting the best out of young people and giving everyone a sporting chance.

Why should clubs apply for accreditation?

Clubmark provides recognition for high quality clubs. It is important that all clubs should strive to this quality standard. Clubmark is an important club development tool and provides a solid foundation for all clubs wishing to establish a youth structure.

Who accredits Clubmark?

There are currently 29 National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs) and 6 County Sports Partnerships (CSPs) licensed to accredit clubs.

How can my club apply for Clubmark?

Registration for Clubmark should be through your NGB or CSP who will provide you with all the relevant resources and information. We recognise that sometimes the hardest part of accreditation is knowing which organisation to contact to register an interest so to help clubs get started we have developed the Pathway to Accreditation. Just answer a few simple questions and we can point you in the right direction.

What does working towards Clubmark accreditation involve?

In working towards Clubmark accreditation, clubs will essentially need to put together a portfolio of evidence which outlines the minimum operating criteria. This criteria for example, includes having a child protection policy, demonstrating a coaching plan and having up to date public liability insurance.

Who assesses clubs for Clubmark and how is Clubmark a quality assured scheme?

Each of the NGBs/CSPs which are able to accredit clubs must go through a rigorous licensing process and provide evidence that there are sufficiently resourced to operate Clubmark. In additional all assessors are required to have attended training to ensure a clear understanding of the evidence required. Finally clubs in each region are externally assessed by trained staff from KKP to ensure that NGBs/CSPs are supporting clubs throughout the process and that clubs evidenced is appropriate and up to date.

How do I know which clubs have Clubmark?

Each accredited club is also recorded on the Clubmark database that can be accessed from the Clubmark website. Also, look out for the Clubmark logo - all accredited clubs are presented with a certificate to display and use the logo on their website, letterheads etc.

How long does Clubmark accreditation last?

Clubmark accreditation lasts for 3 years (or 4 years for some NGBs). At this stage each club will be re-assessed on all areas of the award. Clubs are also asked to complete an Annual Healthcheck to ensure no major changes have taken place and there will be at least one visit by the licensing organisation within the accreditation period. All clubs may also be visited by a trained member of staff from KKP as part of the external verification programme.

What is re-accreditation?

A club must re-submit their file to their NGB or CSP (whichever body accredited the club), after a three or four year period in order to become re-accredited.

What sports use Clubmark now?

There are now almost 30 National Governing Bodies of sport licensed to award Clubmark including a diverse array of sports from ball games such as cricket and rugby to watersports such as canoeing and rowing. All of these sports are encouraging their clubs to join the scheme and there has been a big increase in interest recently.

I'm not sure if my club has Clubmark accreditation - how do I know?

There are a number of sports which adopt a different brand name for their Clubmark accreditation. If you Club has any of the following awards then the Club also qualifies for Clubmark:

CAPS (Netball)
Clubs 1st (Hockey)
Golf Mark (Golf)
GymMark (Gymnastics)
Seal of Approval (Rugby Union)
Swim 21 (Swimming)
Top Club (Canoeing)
Volleyball (Volley 1-2-3)

Are any other sports considering Clubmark?

Yes, even though some sports have their own accreditation schemes. Sports which may move to Clubmark in the future include: Football, Ice Skating, Bowls, Sailing and Horse Riding.

Are many clubs joining the scheme?

Clubmark is the national standard for quality junior sports clubs. add a % or many governing bodies of sport are adopting the scheme and nearly 4000 clubs have now achieved Clubmark. But the aim is to reach 5000 sports clubs across the country by December 2008. Sport England is working with sports organizations, County Sports Partnerships (CSPs) and local authorities to encourage more clubs to raise standards and join.

How can I find a Clubmark club near me?

The national Clubmark database holds records for every accredited clubs across the country. This database can be filtered by sport, region, local authority and CSP to help you to find the most suitable club for you.

What is in it for the clubs?

Clubs awarded Clubmark can be proud of what they have achieved. They are shown to have a commitment to developing junior sport. Parents can be assured that their children belong to a safer club. Members can be sure their club is a well managed club, striving to offer the best in coaching and sports development. By striving to achieve higher standards clubs are likely to attract more members and build a sustainable future. Clubs which apply will receive help and support from their National Governing Body (NGB) or County Sports Partnership (CSP) to achieve higher standards. 

What are the next steps to expand Clubmark across the country?

The National Governing Bodies which already use Clubmark are encouraging more of their clubs to join and more of the NGBs currently not using Clubmark are expected to come into the scheme. (also need to say about more CSPs licensed and supporting to improve regional spread etc. Processes for other organisations to award Clubmark such as County Sports Partnerships are in place and the number of CSPs licensing is expected to rise.

Will Clubmark be further improved?

The next step is to expand Clubmark to other organisations that provide sport and active recreation as part of their activities such as Youth Clubs and Disability Sports Clubs. Also, as awareness of the benefits of being a well run club increase then so will the demand for properly accredited clubs.

Yes, over time the criteria of the scheme will be reviewed and new criteria may be introduced to improve the benefit of Clubmark to NGBs and clubs. For example Clubmark can be developed to support volunteer programmes such as Step into Sport. Benefits such as the sharing of best practice between sports will be extended and more resources and information will be made available on the Clubmark website.