Setting up a new club

We’ve put together a guide of things to consider when setting up a new club.  Please contact us if you require any further help or advice.

Decide the club’s vision & membership model 

Define the club’s core values and identify target participants ie juniors, adults; league or social players. 

Set membership categories (e.g. adult player, junior, social) and subscription levels to cover costs and offer value. 

Appoint committee members & define their roles 

The minimum required posts for a viable management committee are : 

• Chair: Leads meetings and sets strategic direction. 

• Vice Chair: Deputises and often oversees development projects. 

• Treasurer: Manages accounts, banking and financial reporting. 

• Secretary: day-to-day club communications, writes meeting minutes and responsible for arranging league fixtures, although larger clubs with many teams may wish to have a separate Match Secretary. 

Additional roles to consider are:

• Welfare Officer: Important if the club is to have junior members as their role is to ensure safeguarding policies are followed, handles welfare concerns. 

• Membership Secretary

• Coaching Coordinator

• Social Secretary

Detail each role’s responsibilities in a committee handbook to avoid overload and enable smooth handovers. 

Choose a legal structure & affiliation 

Unincorporated Association: simple to set up; members share liability. 

Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC): offers tax relief on eligible activities and Gift Aid, but you must register with HMRC and meet CASC criteria. 

Charity: if your primary purpose is for public benefit; regulated by Charity Commission. 

Affiliation: consider affiliating your club to Badminton England, although this is not compulsory for joining the York & District League. 

Draft the club’s constitution & rulebook 

A robust constitution is the club’s “rulebook.” It should cover: 

• Objectives: Mission and qualifying activities. 

• Membership: Categories, application process, subscriptions and termination grounds. 

• Committee Structure: Officer roles, election/retirement procedures, co-option rules. 

• Decision-Making: Quorum, voting rights, amendment process. 

• Finance: Banking, budgeting, auditing and spending limits. 

• General Meetings: Notice periods, AGM/EGM triggers and conduct. 

• Dissolution: How assets are distributed if the club closes. 

A constitution template from Badminton England can be found below.

Open a club bank account & set financial controls 

Opening a bank account in the Club’s name is essential to distinguish club funds from personal finances. 

Many banks offer low-cost or free club accounts often with a set number of free transactions per month. 

Consider applying for online banking in order to make online payments and check for receipts eg membership payments into the account. 

You will need to provide a copy of your club’s your constitution, committee minutes, proof of identity and proof of address for key signatories. 

You will also need to establish a simple financial policy covering things such as the number of signatories for withdrawals, budgeting and expense reimbursement. Also consider the use of accounting software or spreadsheets for transparency and audit trail. 

Arrange insurance & safeguarding 

Public Liability insurance: at some venues it is mandatory for club’s to have their own insurance to protect against injury or property damage claims.  Check with the facilities provider if your club will be covered on their insurance or if your own insurance is required. 

Personal Accident insurance: optional cover for participants. 

Safeguarding: DBS checks for coaches/volunteers working with children; adopt a child protection policy aligned to Badminton England’s guidelines: Safeguarding Policies - Badminton England

Health & Safety: conduct risk assessments for all venues and activities; record and review regularly. 

Plan & conduct meetings effectively 

Annual General Meeting (AGM):  these are held once a year to present annual reports, elect officers, approve accounts and amend constitution. Members should receive at least 21–30 days’ written notice with an agenda, previous minutes and financial summary. 

Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM):  these are called by the committee or on written request of a specified proportion of members (often one-third) & are used for urgent matters that cannot wait until the AGM. 

Committee Meetings: regular committee meetings should be help to continually review the club’s policies & discuss any emerging issues.    

The Club’s constitution should specify minimum attendees for decisions (commonly 25–50% of the committee for committee meetings; 15–25% of members for AGMs) & detail voting methods (show of hands, secret ballot) and tie-breaker procedures. 

Maintain core policies & grow your club 

Key policies: equality & diversity, codes of conduct (players, coaches, spectators), data protection (GDPR), complaints and disciplinary procedures. 

Recruitment & marketing: consider setting-up a simple website and social-media presence in order to help attract new members.  Include details about the club eg session dates/times, membership fees. 

Consider how to recognise contributions to the club eg awards presented at the club’s AGM. 

Continuous review: annually revisit your constitution, policies and development plan to reflect growth and changing needs.