Starting a Club?

Setting up a new Club

There are three important things that need to be thought about before setting up a new club:-

• Are there enough potential members
• Are there enough volunteers to run the club
• Is there another club in the area that is already meeting the needs of the sport locally.

Once there is a general agreement to set up a club, a formal meeting will need to be called. During this meeting there will be a number of things which need to be decided and agreed upon. It is often worth doing some preliminary work before the meeting so that things can be decided upon at the outset.

Below is a list of areas that will need to be thought about and agreed upon in order to set up a new club:-

Club Name

This can be anything that you decide. It is necessary to set up in order to draw up formal documents and open a Bank /Building Society account. You might want to do a check to ensure that no other club has the same name.

Club Constitution

A club Constitution is a simple document that outlines the functions of the club, procedures for membership, meetings and committees. We have included a Club Constitution Template for you to fill out by clicking here. The information required to fill out this form is:

Club Officials

A club will need a number of officials to run the club on a formal basis. A club Secretary, Chairperson and Treasurer are the minimum required. These posts will need to be elected. Before the meeting it is advisable that there are willing people to take up these roles. The club needs at least three elected members onto the committee. Many clubs will have other roles that people in the club volunteer to carry out outside the formal club positions, such as membership secretary, PRO, social secretary etc.

Committee Meetings and Annual AGM

A club Committee is a group of people who are formally responsible for the running of the club. A Club's success will be greatly down to the work of the Committee. Establishing a Committee with clearly identified roles helps to identify who does what in the club, helps to spread the workload and ensures that the club is not entirely dependent on one or two people. It might be useful to establish basic role descriptions so that everyone what is expected of them and others.

The Committee should meet at least quarterly, some meet monthly. An Annual General Meeting (AGM) is required, as is laid down in the Constitution, so that all members have a say in the run of the club. It is at the AGM that the Committee is elected.

Finance – Income and Expenditure to run a club

As a new club it will be important to raise funds to run the club, initially these will more than likely come from membership subscriptions. It is also advisable to set out a list of costs to run the club throughout the year which will help you create a budget of income and expenditure for the next 12 months. A club will have to set up a Bank/Building Society Account in the name of the Club. The Bank will usually require two signatories for the cashing of cheques or withdrawals. The Treasurer of the club should handle the financial affairs of the club and keep detailed accounts.

Membership

As stated in the provided Constitution, Membership shall be open to all persons either amateur or professional. The amateur status of non-professional club members shall be protected.

Insurance

Please refer to the insurance area of Triathlon Ireland website which details all aspects of Insurance.

Affiliation

As stated in the provided Constitution, it is mandatory for members to be either full or associate members of Triathlon Ireland, the national governing body for the sport of triathlon in Ireland.

Meetings/Leagues/Competitions

The club can decide what type of club it is to be whether it will be a recreational club or whether it will hold inter-club competitions or in-house training.

Venue

It is likely that if you are starting up a new club you will have to find a local facility to operate from. This might be a local authority venue, school or a facility belonging to another local group/club.

Kit/Equipment

As your club develops and grows you may want to source some club kit and equipment.

Taking the next steps

Above is the information on setting up a club, but that is the easy part, once you have set up your club you need to work at keeping it going. It is advisable to write out a plan, perhaps a five year plan, breaking it down into detailed one year plans.

Other things to Consider

• Coaching qualifications
• Triathlon Ireland runs various training courses at times.
• Child Protection Policy

Information on the Day to Day Running of Clubs

• Do you want to know more about Triathlon Ireland?
• Do you want to know more about triathlon in Ireland?
• Are you thinking of running a triathlon, duathlon or aquathlon and are looking to find out how to go about it?
• Are you looking for Competition Rules?

Triathlon Ireland provides a Manual of Guidance on our website which should have the answers to all these questions and more.

If you live in an area where there is no club and you'd be interested in forming a club, or if you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at administrator@triathlonireland.com.