Swim England
Running Your Club
1 April 2019 Managing Your ClubHere we cover the day-to-day management issues which mainly cover Club Governance but also how to host events and competitions as well as crucial areas such as safeguarding and risk assessments.
Skip to a section:
- Good Governance Information Sessions
Governance resources
Delivering outdoor swimming sessions
Entering and running events
Safeguarding and welfare resources
Good Governance Information Sessions
We have developed a number of information sessions and workshops to support Officers in their roles within the club or organisation. Each session is designed to support new and existing Chairs, Secretaries, Membership Officers and Welfare Officers in dealing with challenges and the day to day running of the club or organisation. Each session is free of charge to attend and will be delivered online.
For more information including dates and times of the sessions please click on the relevant link:
- Good Governance Secretary and Membership Officer workshop: Secretary and Membership Sessions
- Good Governance Chair’s workshop on dealing with internal disputes (mandatory): Chair Session
- Good Governance Welfare Officer workshop (mandatory): Welfare Officer Session
Governance Resources
Guidance to clubs to ensure they maintain good governance.
- Good Governance guide -This guide has been put together for all Swim England members to benefit from and supports Swim England to cascade good governance throughout our affiliated bodies. It also enables affiliated organisations to better understand why policies and procedures are implemented and its relevance to Swim England’s compliancy standards.
- Club Complaints – A well governed organisation has many benefits including reducing the amount of complaints from members. However if a complaint does arise, please see our different ways to report a concern or complaint via a club or Swim England affiliated organisation.
- Risk Registers – Swim England have developed a risk register template and guidance, which is a simple and effective tool clubs can use to help identify, document and manage risks regarding the sustainability and day-to-day running of the organisation.
Delivering outdoor swimming sessions
Many Swim England affiliated clubs deliver outdoor and open water swimming opportunities for their members. The Outdoor Swimming Guidance for clubs provides a comprehensive framework to help clubs plan, manage, and deliver safe aquatic sessions in natural environments.
This guidance is designed for clubs and volunteers involved in organising outdoor swimming activities. It covers everything from risk assessments and safety roles to water quality, equipment, and safeguarding protocols.
Whether you’re running a coached session at a managed venue or leading a group swim in open water, this document ensures you’re equipped with the knowledge and best practices to keep participants safe.
Key topics include:
- Roles and responsibilities for coaches, lifeguards, and safety paddlers
- Venue selection and accreditation with Beyond Swim
- Risk assessment templates and emergency planning
- Guidance for children, young swimmers, and swimmers with disabilities
- Water temperature, wildlife, and environmental hazards
Entering and running events
Guidance to clubs for entering competitions and running your own competitions both internally and licensed meets.
- Club Member Check – look up the registered clubs, country of international representation and any qualifications of Swim England members.
- Suspended Clubs – view which clubs have their Swim England affiliation suspended for failing to submit a full annual renewal.
- Swim England Club Codes – all Swim England affiliated clubs are allocated a four-letter code. You can search through these.
- Licensed Meets information – our guide to the four levels of Swim England licensed meets.
Safeguarding and welfare resources
Protecting children and adults is a vital responsibility of all clubs. These pages will provide guidance for safeguarding matters.