CLUB DEVELOPMENT
Set up a New...
Dodgeball Session at a School, Youth Club or Community Group
What You Need – A Checklist:
Startup Support includes:
Community Dodgeball Club
Minimum Requirements for Member Clubs – A Checklist:
- Community Club Membership
- Club Email Address
- Constitution, Risk Assessment, Data Protection and Safeguarding policies
- A coach that meets Minimum Deployment Requirements
- Organisation Bank Account
- Hold sessions open to at least 1 section of the local community
- Access to first aid at sessions & competitions
- Safeguarding Officer
Startup Support includes:
- Help Secure Funding
- Public Liability Insurance
- Advice & Guidance
- Document Templates
- Free/Deferred 1st Season of Club Membership
- Link with network of clubs/volunteers
British Dodgeball Startup Support
British Dodgeball staff members actively support volunteers or club leaders who want advice, guidance and bid-writing support to help set up a dodgeball club or dodgeball session. British Dodgeball Startup Support provides the following benefits to successful applicants:
- Consultation and ongoing support meetings with development staff
- Funding support and bidwriting to help provide the necessary funds to get the sessions up and running
- Free or deferred club membership for the first season of a new club’s existence
Apply below for British Dodgeball Club Startup Support by completing the form below:
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Funding
What Projects Can Be Funded
Funding is available in some areas of the U.K. for new projects. This could be:
- Setting up a new dodgeball session at a community club.
- Setting up a completely new community dodgeball club.
- Setting up a junior, or women’s section at an existing community club.
- Setting up a satellite club (a new session at a new venue ran by an existing club) in order to give more people the opportunity to play.
What Funding Can Cover
Funding can generally be sought to cover expenses, including:
- Club membership
- Coach Education and coach membership
- Coaching costs
- Dodgeballs and other necessary equipment
- Venue hire for a certain number of months
- Leadership courses to raise self-esteem
- Competition entry
- Marketing/promotional costs
- Safety & safeguarding (criminal records checks, safeguarding and first aid training etc.)
Below are some of the funding pots which British Dodgeball may be able to help you access as part of Startup Support or Club Membership.
Awards for all (All Regions):
The National Lottery Awards For All scheme offers between £300 and £20,000 of support to community groups who want to set up a club in order to bring people together and improve communities.
Movement Fund (England-only):
The Movement Fund offers up to £15,000 for physical activity projects in the community. The focus is on people who face barriers to activity and projects designed to help them join in.
Be Active Wales Fund (Wales-only):
The Be Active Wales Fund is a grant supported by the National Lottery. It funds not-for-profit sports clubs and community groups across Wales. You can apply for grants from £300 to £50,000 to get more people taking part in sport.
Local Funding (All Regions):
Each county and city varies in what local pots of funding are available. There may be something relevant for your new club by searching locally which could cover some start-up costs. As each opportunity is individual, amounts and what can be funded varies and must be explore on a case-by-case basis.
Funding Examples
British Dodgeball has worked with a range of organisations to create and secure funding for worthwhile projects which develop the sport of dodgeball in addition to increasing participation in physical activity. Some examples of a range of projects are below:
Small Grants Funding:Â Norwich Nighthawks Dodgeball Club
Norwich Nighthawks approached us with the goal of setting up a new junior section, to make sure their club would always have young players moving through their pathway. In 2020, we secured funding to train 3 new coaches, send a coach into schools to provide taster sessions and to run the sessions at no cost for 20 weeks, meaning the club could save session subs in order to become more sustainable.
Sport Wales Community Chest:Â Rhondda Dragons Dodgeball Club
In order to set up a junior sections, Rhondda Dragons secured Sport Wales Community Chest funding in 2022 which paid for club promotion, hall hire for the initial months, coach education and equipment. This meant the club could launch in a sustainable way.
Local Funding:Â Eden Dodgeball (Eden District Council Sports Development Grant)
In some areas, local funding streams are available to support your club. Eden Dodgeball worked with British Dodgeball to gain a small grant which paid for equipment and taster sessions to be delivered in local primary schools with the aim of raising awareness about the club. As a result, Eden Dodgeball’s participation numbers have grown from 8-12 members to over 50.
Club Stages
As your club develops, you are encouraged to refer to Club Stages documents for guidance on what to work towards next on your journey:
