Club (Sports) Development Plans

McGarry Consulting can help you complete or review your club development plan. We can advise on sports development plans, and deliver them as stand-alone items or in tandem with funding applications or appraisals. 

Sports clubs play a huge role in society. Clubs keep people healthy and bring people together. They also develop players, encourage volunteering and create a deep sense of community. However, it must be remembered they are still an organisation like any other. Clubs need people, funds, kit, equipment, resources, insurance and must also meet a growing list of legal and compliance obligations (e.g. child protection).  Increasingly clubs need a plan to steer the club, especially if they want new facilities, structures (e.g. new governance) or volunteers. These plans should be reviewed regularly and updated every 3 years.

CLUBMARK

McGarry Consulting can help clubs develop a Club Development Plan, Sports Development Plan and/or Club Outreach & Community Plan. We can also assist clubs attain Clubmark accreditation.  Clubs with clubmark are increasingly been given preferential treatment in terms of discounted prices, higher grant scores/rates and access to further training. Clubmark can take time but once up and running makes it easier to organise, update and protect your club, players and volunteers.

CLUB OUTREACH & COMMUNITY PLAN

Many grants are interested in the level of outreach work your club does and how it targets traditionally under-represented groups, e.g. women, ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and older people. This is important for capital (e.g. facilities) and revenue (e.g. programmes) grant funding. A Club Outreach and/or Community Plan can map out how your club can achieve greater openness, diversity and community engagement.

CLUB DEVELOPMENT PLAN v SPORTS DEVELOPMENT PLAN

A club development plan is focused on the club itself. It outlines the club's background, history, core information, organisational structure, teams, coaching, facilities and overall aims/objectives. A sports development plan is usually more focused on the development or use of facilities, existing or planned. The club development plan and constitution will be of use for general funding and information. The sports development plan is usually for a given project and often required by funders to demonstrate how the sporting aims & targets are or will be met. Often the initial sports development plan will be sought in conjunction with with a feasibility study, business plan or economic appraisal. Club Development Plans are usually over 3-4 years whilst a Sports Development Plan will be over a longer period. However, funders may wish to review the Sports Development Plan on a yearly or quarterly basis to ensure targets are being hit. 

WE ARE CLUB PEOPLE TOO

We have been involved in clubs all our lives as players, coaches and/or committee members. So, you know we’re as committed as you are and that we’ll have the best interests of your club at heart. 

Related: Clubmark, Club Development Plan, Sports Development Plan, Club Outreach Plan, Community Plan

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