University Charter Mark

University charter mark - gold

Your time at university is a period of significant change and can prove challenging to many of you, your parents and coaches. In response to this, we have established a Charter Mark so that you can be reassured that the environment at these universities provides the highest standards of support from the time you arrive in your first year until you graduate.

By working closer with universities, England Athletics want to establish environments that help you to maintain athletics participation throughout your time at university, continue to develop, and improve performances.  We also want universities to support you if you wish to move into coaching or officiating.

Awarded Charter Marks

Gold – University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham offers excellent training facilities, including a new athletics track opened in 2017. In addition to the high standard of coaching across all athletic disciplines, there are also acclimatization chambers and ice baths together with the opportunity for students to train at altitude. Birmingham offers the highest level of facilities and support for throws, jumps, speed and endurance students which enables England Athletics to have full confidence in recommending it and supporting athletics at the venue.

Gold – University of Bath

The University of Bath offers a number of scholarship options as well inclusive training sessions supporting all levels of athletes, from grass roots to elite level. It is also able to provide the additional benefits of a temperature acclimatisation and altitude chamber, ice bath and warm bath unit. There is a range of indoor and outdoor training facilities for all events at Bath, including a performance gym and a new gym extension that has doubled the floor space. The university also has links to a range of local clubs providing additional training and competitive opportunities for their students.

Silver – Leeds Beckett University

Leeds Beckett University is also able to demonstrate excellent levels of support for their students with highly qualified coaches available across a wide range of events, including its national centre for walking. It excels in endurance, speed and jumps events and England athletics already work closely with them for training camps and get togethers.

Silver – University of Sheffield

The University of Sheffield prides itself on organising a wide range of training and competitive opportunities for all athletic disciplines, as well as providing a welcoming environment for social members. In addition to the sports facilities at the University, the club benefits from strong working relationships with local clubs as well as access to the nearby Ponds Forge and English Institute of Sport.

Bronze – Solent University

Solent University is a welcoming environment for all student athletes, regardless of ability level. Training sessions are available for all events, including in strength and conditioning. Elite, club and social members are all catered for. Competitive opportunities available in cross country, road and all indoor and outdoor track and field disciplines. Specialist facilities include a therapy suite, nutritional support and a physiology, biomechanics and psychology laboratory (including four altitude simulators). There is a University High Performance Gym, including a range of cardio vascular equipment, spin studio, wide range of free weights and weights machines.a Solent University has Sports Scholarships available.

Bronze – Exeter University

Exeter University has established itself as a welcoming and increasingly successful athletics environment in recent years. Accessing high quality university facilities, the university works with coaches and local clubs to provide training and competitive opportunities. The campus offers parkland for endurance running and new state of the art facilities for conditioning and indoor work.

Bronze – The University of Nottingham

The University of Nottingham has a vibrant and welcoming athletics club that provides excellent training and competition opportunities for all student athletes. There is a comprehensive tiered scholarship system available and a dedicated Disability Sport Officer. The university offers a high performance centre, physical performance testing and a hydrotherapy pool on campus as part of their sports facilities and also works closely with Nottingham AC to provide additional facilities and coaches for all the athletics events.

What is the Charter Mark?

The Charter Mark is a nationally recognised badge of quality, endorsed by England Athletics, that a university can publicly use to demonstrate the quality of provision available at the institution.

There are three levels of Charter Mark available for universities; Gold, Silver and Bronze. Whilst the range of facilities, number of coaches or sports science support may differ between the Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards, the Charter Mark universities must demonstrate that all the athletic disciplines are catered for and athletes are supported through excellent pastoral support, training facilities and competitive opportunities. The universities aim to support you through this crucial time in your athletics journey, to allow you to not only continue to participate whilst you study but also to improve your performance standard.

Benefits to Universities of Charter Mark

  • A nationally recognised quality mark, promoted and supported and endorsed by England Athletics.
  • A mark of accreditation for the university, to be used in marketing and recruitment.
  • An endorsement of excellence for prospective students, to help signpost them to high quality athletic environments when applying to university.
  • Being involved in the Charter Mark system will strengthen relationships between a university and England Athletics.
  • England Athletics will work closely with the university in areas such as conferences, coaching courses and staff development.

Universities with Charter Mark

The Charter Mark recognises the high standards of support being offered at these universities, including bursaries, excellent training facilities, highly qualified staff, high performance gyms, sports science support and pastoral guidance. Student athletes from all athletic events are supported and the university clubs offer a vibrant training and competitive environment.

Find out more

For more information or a copy of the Charter Mark criteria, please contact Lynne Duval, the University Coordinator at lduval@englandathletics.org