Volunteers
The club is run by a committee of volunteers who also have day jobs. They are part of the committee as they want to contribute to the club, giving up their time to help the club run. Some people on the committee will have specific roles: a few of these require basic training to help undertake the role.
Being on the club committee is very rewarding, they are the heartbeat of the club, and the individuals that keep clubs operational and delivering the sport.
Committee members are usually voted on at the Annual General Meeting. The role of the committee is primarily to make sure the club is following good governance in its management, spending within its parameters, monitoring of membership numbers, hosting events during the year, employment of coaches and teachers, amongst many other things.
Club Roles
Below are the main roles within our club. Please visit the club website to see photos of the individuals currently in these posts. Full role descriptions can be found on the Swim England website.
Chairperson - The club chairperson is the principal officer for the club and is elected by the club members
Vice Chairperson – The Vice Chairperson works closely with club chair supporting them to undertake the leadership and governance responsibilities of the club. The Vice Chairperson will look to step into the role of Club Chairperson when the chairperson is unavailable.
Secretary − The Club Secretary is key to the smooth running of the club. They provide a main point of contact for administration, information and communication.
Treasurer − The Treasurer of the club is responsible for producing and managing the club’s accounts and finances and will oversee all income and expenditure for the club.
Shadow Treasurer − The shadow treasurer works closely with the treasurer and deputises at key meeting in their absence.
Membership Secretary − The Club Membership Secretary is the key link between the Club and the Swim England membership team. They look after the day-to-day registration of all club members with Swim England.
British Championships − British Swimming will select the top 24 fastest athletes in the country in each event by age group to compete at this event.
Welfare Officer − This role is essential in providing a first point of contact for children, parents and adults within the club who have a child safeguarding or welfare concern.
Events Co-ordinator − This role is responsible for the development and management the clubs’ competitions calendar.
Parent Representative − The Parent representative is the key link between the club and the parents. They promote clear and effective club communication channels and ensure parents feel supported and have someone to go to should they have any questions or concerns.
Team Manager − The Team Manager ensures team cohesion at aquatic events and competitions. This may include the organisation of the logistics where the competition is at a different venue.
Poolside Helper − A poolside helper supports the delivery of club sessions under the supervision of a qualified teacher or coach.
Fundraising Officer − The Social Secretary leads and promotes club activities, ideally to increase membership, increase income and/or raise the profile of the club within the community.
To find out more about becoming a Team Manager, please see here: Pathway to a Team Manager
AGM and Constitution information
Every club has a constitution which outlines the way the club must run. A copy of our constitution can be found here. Our constitution explains how the club is to be managed and details the procedures for our Annual General Meeting (AGM), and any Special General Meetings (SGM).
An AGM is held once per year when all members (age restrictions may apply) can vote on elements of club governance. It is also the time when committee members are elected or re-elected (apart from the Welfare Officer, as this is not an electable role). Our club AGM usually takes place in February/March.
Our constitution must be reviewed annually just prior to the AGM and every 4 years, the current constitution must be submitted to the region for review and approval after which it will be presented to our club membership for acceptance. An Affiliation certificate is then issued by the region.