Affiliating your club
Why affiliate with England Athletics?
As an affiliated club you will be able to access a range of benefits and services to help, manage and engage your club and its members, including:
- Club support services
- Partner offers
- Club programmes
- Competition, events and licensing
- Qualifications and development opportunities
View a full list of England Athletics Club Affiliation benefits and services.
What do you need to affiliate your club?
Constitution
A club constitution approved by the club membership developed from the England Athletics template.
Committee
Appoint a committee to cover a range of roles to represent your club. Club should have a committee that is made up of representatives to fulfil the following roles;
- Club Chair *
- Club Treasurer *
- Club Secretary **
- Club Membership Secretary **
- Welfare Officer
- DBS Verifier
* Please note the Club Chair and Treasurer must not be the same person. These two roles should not be linked to individuals co-habiting/related. The role of Treasurer should not be connected to other roles and be independent, due to the financial nature of the position.
** The roles of Club Secretary and Membership Secretary can be combined and also the positions of DBS Verifier and Welfare Officer
Conflicts of interest should be recognised, managed by the Chair and recorded. At least three of the people on the committee should be unrelated or not cohabiting.
Access Committee role descriptions.
Club Bank Account
Registered bank account in the name of the club, evidence must be uploaded as part of your club application.
Club Colours
Clubs should have a unique vest design and colour compared to other clubs within the same region and across potential league competitors, a digital illustration must be uploaded on application.
Licensed coaches/leaders
Clubs should only use appropriately licensed UKA coaches or leaders at a level relevant to their membership base and activities.
Committee Meeting
Minutes of the committee meeting approving the application for affiliation must be recorded to upload with your application.
Club standards: Advanced notice of change for 2025
Affiliated clubs will notice a change next year (as they come to reaffiliate in 2025) as Club Standard 6: Safeguarding – which 25% of affiliated clubs already meet – will become a mandatory requirement for affiliation.
*Clubs affiliated to British Triathlon can opt out of this mandatory standard, and choose instead to follow British Triathlon’s guidance.
This stems from our shared desire for, and commitment to, running and athletics clubs being genuinely safe and welcoming environments, at which everyone can participate, flourish and share enjoyment of our sport.
We will be in touch with clubs throughout the coming year, to explain the steps that must be taken to achieve this standard when it becomes mandatory in 2025, however a brief guide is below. Clubs will have to do the following on myAthletics portal:
- Confirm that your club agrees to implement the UK Athletics and HCAF Safeguarding club code of conduct.
- Confirm that you have ensure your members have agreed to the relevant UK Athletics and HCAF Code of Conducts and are managing the conduct and behaviour of those associated with the club as officials, coaches, volunteers, athletes, runners and supporters.
- Appoint a minimum of one Lead Welfare Officer that has completed 1) Online UK Athletics Safeguarding course 2) Virtual England Athletics Welfare Officer Training* 3) DBS check
- Declare all your active coaches and leaders and ensure that they have valid England Athletics licence.
* Clubs with any Under 18s = England Athletics Child Welfare Officer Training. Clubs with over 18s only – England Athletics Adult Welfare Training.
In continuing to support clubs striving to enhance and develop their welfare and safeguarding policies, we have also listened to feedback from clubs and now have two training courses for Welfare Officers, depending on whether or not your club has members aged under 18.
Please note that it will be a mandatory requirement for clubs to have Welfare Officers – including one Lead Welfare Officer – in place by April 2025, so now is an ideal time to take advantage of our enhanced course offering.
The process of affiliating your club
Clubs can apply to affiliate with England Athletics by completing an online application form.
Please have all of your supporting documents listed above, ready to upload online, this will ensure your application can be processed as quickly as possible. Once all documents have been received, the applicant will receive a decision within 6-8 weeks. If your application is approved, a Member Engagement Officer will be in touch for you to send your £150 affiliation fee (increasing to £200 from 1 April 2024) to activate your club affiliation.
The affiliation year runs from 1 April to 31 March. If you join part way through the year your club affiliation will need to be renewed on 1 April. If your club joins in January they will receive 15 months membership.
Download Club Affiliation guidance 2024-2025 (PDF 3.3MB)