Role Descriptions

Club Chair

The chairperson is typically the most senior official role in a club and fulfills a range of duties dealing with the overall management of club affairs.  The chairperson leads the club to achieve its vision, short-term and long-term goals.

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Main Duties and Responsibilities;

• Provide leadership in all aspects of the club from training to competition, fundraising, and social activities.  

• Strategic planning and key decision-making duties. 

• Form a team so that all the officer and committee positions are filled, taking in consideration skills, experience and diversity.  

• Delegating, leading , and motivating club volunteers towards club goals/objectives. 

• Uphold the club constitution and terms of conditions of England Athletics affiliation.  

• Ensuring an understanding of the legal responsibilities of the club to which the Club complies. 

• Lead in the enforcement of the club’s code of conduct. 

• Assist the club to fulfil its responsibilities towards club welfare and safeguarding. 

• Taking responsibility for personal conflicts of interest and declaring, recording , and managing these appropriately. 

• Chairing regular committee meetings and the Annual General Meetings (AGM). 

• Being actively involved in creating and following a Club Development Plan. 

• Representing the club at local and regional events. 

• Arranging handover or succession planning for the position

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Vice Chair

The Vice Chair role is to essentially to deputise for the Chair and/or to undertake tasks on behalf of the Chair as mutually agreed. The Vice Chair will take responsibility for being the Chair of Totton Running Club if for any reason the Chair is indisposed or the club fail to appoint a Chair in accordance with the constitution.

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Main Duties and Responsibilities;

• Deputising for the Chair in attending or chairing meetings. 

• Support the Chair in providing general leadership by acting as an ambassador and figure head for Totton Running Club 

• Supporting the Chair as they lead the club to achieve their vision, short term and long-term goals

• To support the Chair as they require, including ensuring Totton Running Club operates within the Constitution, addressing weaknesses etc. 

• Provide leadership on all aspects of the club from training to competition, fundraising and social activities.  

• Support the Chair with strategic planning and key decision-making duties. 

• Support the Chair in delegating, leading and motivating club volunteers towards club goals/objectives. 

• Uphold the club constitution and terms of conditions of England Athletics affiliation. 

• Ensuring an understanding of the legal responsibilities of the club to which the Club complies. 

• Support the Chair in Leading in the enforcement of the club’s code of conduct. 

• Assist the club to fulfil its responsibilities towards club welfare and safeguarding.  

• Taking responsibility for personal conflicts of interest and declaring, recording and managing these appropriately. 

• Being actively involved in creating and following a Club Development Plan. 

• Representing the club at local and regional events. 

• Arranging handover or succession planning for the position 

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Club Secretary

The primary role of the club secretary is to provide administrative support to the role of chairperson. Much of the hands-on administrative effort may be delegated to other club officers and volunteers, but responsibility for ensuring the overall, well-run club administration lies with the Secretary.

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Main Duties and Responsibilities;

• Plan club meetings with the chairperson and agree an agenda with all club officers 

• Circulate details of meetings (time, location, agenda, etc.) to club members 

• Take minutes and circulate to meeting attendees 

• Follow-up with relevant parties on key actions arising from meetings 

• Ensure meetings adhere to procedures of the club constitution (e.g. quorums and election procedures) 

• Being the first point of contact for club inquiries 

• Receive, send and log correspondence on behalf of the Club 

• Delegating tasks to club members 

• Attending to affiliations 

• Ensuring insurance is up to date and relevant 

• Maintaining up-to-date records and reference files 

• Arranging handover or succession planning for the position

• Taking responsibility for personal conflicts of interest and declaring, recording , and managing these appropriately

• Manage club grievance and disciplinary correspondence. 

• Ensure the club applies for and receives its London Marathon club places entitlement 

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Club Treasurer

The Club Treasurer is responsible for managing the flow of money into the club and for allocating and recording how that money is spent to run the club. This is a vital role in a club as the treasurer works to ensure the club is able to meet its day-to-day expenses and prompts the need for increased club fundraising where a shortfall in income exists. 

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The treasurer also works in conjunction with the committee in planning the development of the club e.g. creating annual budgets, estimating funds required for a capital project like a new facility , and projecting membership and income for future years to contribute towards prudent planning of the club’s future.

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Main Duties and Responsibilities;

• Managing the club’s income and expenditure and its assets and liabilities 

• Maintain bank account(s) in the name of the Club in accordance with the mandate ratified by the Committee 

• Producing an end-of-year financial report 

• Identifying a suitable individual to independently review the annual accounts 

• Regularly reporting back to the club committee on all financial matters 

• Depending on the type of legal structure reporting back to the relevant body as required.

• Efficient payment of invoices and bills 

• Proposing amendments to annual and weekly subscriptions as appropriate 

• Depositing cash and cheques that the club receives 

• Keeping up-to-date financial records 

• Arranging handover or succession planning for the position 

• Taking responsibility for personal conflicts of interests and declaring, recording , and managing these appropriately 

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Welfare Officer

Club Welfare Officers within your club ensures that members have a trained and trusted person to speak to about a concern either within the club or at times outside of Athletics. A Welfare Officer is the lead person who has the right skills and knowledge to manage any concern raised in an appropriate way that would not hamper any investigation and shares information accordingly. By completing the England Athletics online safeguarding and Time to Listen training, Clubs can be confident that their Welfare Officers have the right level of knowledge for the role that is specific to Athletics.  This includes how to raise a concern and who to speak to within the sport.

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A Club Welfare Officer (CWO) with the support of the club committee has the responsibility to: 

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• Implement effective Child Safeguarding Policy and Child Safeguarding Procedures and keep them up to date 

• Implement effective Adult Safeguarding Policy and Adult Safeguarding Procedures and keep them up to date 

• Promote safeguarding at the club and encourage good practice 

• Respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns 

• Regularly report to the club’s organising committee on safeguarding matters 

• Ensure that members of the club/volunteers/staff who are working with children and/or adults at risk are recruited safely and in line with legal requirements 

• Deal effectively with breaches of the codes of conduct, poor practice, or allegations of abuse  

• Keep up to date with developments in safeguarding  

• Attend the relevant safeguarding courses for the role of CWO  

• Complete a criminal record check through the relevant Home Country procedures  

• Maintain confidential records of reported safeguarding concerns and action taken  

• Liaise with the HCAF Welfare Officer and/or statutory agencies if/when required. 

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make sure the sports volunteers/staff, parents/carers, adults , and children are aware of: 

• How to contact the CWO  

• The codes of conduct for working with children/adults at risk  

• How to respond to safeguarding concerns  

• Deal effectively with breaches of the codes of conduct, poor practice, or allegations of abuse  

• Keep up to date with developments in safeguarding

 It is desirable for a Club Welfare Officer to: 

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• Have an interest in safeguarding and welfare matters.  

• Be friendly and approachable with the ability to communicate well with adults and children.  

• Be willing to challenge opinion, where necessary, and to drive the safeguarding agenda.  

• Have strong listening skills and the ability to deal with sensitive situations with empathy and integrity.  

• Have an understanding of the importance of confidentiality and when information may need to be shared in  order to protect the best interests of a child or an adult at risk.  

• Have the confidence and ability to manage situations relating to the poor conduct/behavior of others towards  a child or an adult at risk and know when to ask for support.  

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Membership Secretary

The primary role of the club membership secretary is athlete registration. Athlete registration is a well-established part of the sport. It is essential that competing athletes are registered with the club as well as England Athletics. Club membership secretaries are responsible for making sure that their athletes are registered with England Athletics. This can be done through the club management area of  myAthletics portal (to which club membership secretaries have access).

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Main Duties and Responsibilities;

• Managing the club affiliation renewal  

• Managing the athlete registration renewal process  

• Progressing athlete registrations for new members  

• Maintaining records of all athletes – competitive and social.  

• Maintaining records of club members who carry out the role of volunteers, coaches , and officials  

• Works with the club treasurer to reconcile membership payments, discounts, refunds, etc.  

• Contacts members in payment arrears to pay club membership dues   

• Updates coaches each week on who has paid their membership and is eligible to train and compete.  

• Responsible for managing athlete transfer requests to other clubs.  

• Sharing National Governing Body (NGB) registration numbers with members  

• Reporting to the club secretary on the progress of memberships (growth/decline) etc.   

• Ensuring data privacy and meeting GDPR obligations as an officer of the club who are a data controller  

• Arranging handover or succession planning for the position 

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DBS Verifier

The DBS Verifier is responsible for verifying the identity of all DBS applicants. DBS checks cannot be completed without a Verifier. The role of the DBS is to support safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working/volunteering with vulnerable groups, including children. The DBS Verifier should be appointed by the club committee and be registered with England Athletics by the Club Secretary.

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Main Duties and Responsibilities;

• To physically verify the person's identification

• Confirm verification online 

• To work with the club's welfare officer to ensure the club is up to date with UKA/EA and  DBS / government guidance around DBS and to ensure all relevant individuals hold valid DBS checks

• Arranging handover or succession planning for the position.

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Head Coach/Coach Co-ordinator

The primary role of the Head coach is the Implementation and support of a safe and effective training programme that assists the Club’s coaches and athletes. Help to develop and deliver the vision for your club and coaching team. The Head coach will work with all coaches on the preparation of coaching sessions, coach sessions as appropriate, and attend all club meetings when required.

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Main Duties and Responsibilities;

• To take full responsibility for the club’s coaching sessions. 

• To prepare all coaching sessions in advance together with other coaches. 

• To work with and be included in the preparation and running of each session.

• To attend club meetings and report on progress when required.

• To offer the club feedback on the organisation and degree of success of coaching and performance of club athletes at events. 

• To uphold and abide by the England Athletics Coaches Code of Conduct.

• To Maintain records of safeguarding training attended by leaders and coaches 

• To Maintain records of club coaches and officials’ licenses and criminal record check

 

Attributes of a Head Coach;

• Planner – Plan or assist in planning all coached sessions.

• Organiser – of sessions, equipment, athletes, and coaches.

• Mentor – to your triathletes and possibly to other coaches you work with.

• Teacher / Educator / Instructor – coaching can be considered as helping athletes learn and understand what they need to improve or increase their enjoyment, teaching and educating can form a large element of this. Achieving a balance between telling people what to do and providing an environment for them to learn themselves is a key coaching skill.

• Manager – participants and others will look to the head coach to define what needs to happen and when. The coach will usually need to take the lead and manage a range of activities to support coaching e.g. preparation of plans, booking facilities, possibly even selecting target races for a club or groups of individuals.

• Role model – coaching is an important role, and many people look to coaches to set an example, therefore coaches need to act and behave as expected from someone in a position of responsibility.

• Motivator – not only to your athletes but to less experienced coaches in your club.

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