What is Development/Why Develop your Club?

The overall aim of development is to ensure progress and growth, or ensuring sustainability at the current level. By attracting more people into the sport of gymnastics as participants, volunteers, officials, coaches and judges and by increasing the opportunities available, gymnastics clubs can maximise their potential. Sound development should take account of the full range of operational and strategic issues facing a club.

Given the wide-ranging and often complex nature of developing gymnastics, clubs are encouraged to work to a sound and logical action plan. Such a plan will define a club's purpose and vision and present a concise and coherent framework for its development. The overall aim of any development plan should be to reflect the club's vision for the future, by demonstrating a clearly representative and transparent document

Why have a Club Action Plan?

A sound action plan will:

• Allow the club to be well organised
• Demonstrate clarity of purpose
• Establish and promote good practice
• Allow for appropriate delegation of responsibility, thus increasing ownership
• Better place the club to recieve grants and funding

An action plan should be based on the clubs overall vision and structured around three main sections:

• Where are we now?
• Where do we want to be?
• How will we get there?

The GymMark scheme has been developed by British Gymnastics, in partnership with Sport England and the Home Country Sports Councils, to provide recognition for clubs that are committed to providing quality experiences. We expect its significance to grow over the next few years as more and more people become aware of its importance in ensuring the safe participation of young people in our sport.

Gaining GymMark accredition will mean you will be recognised by British Gymnastics, Sport England and the Home Country Sports Councils as a safe, effective and child friendly club, providing a service in the community, that children and young people, their parents/carers, and others with an interest in gymnastics, can trust.

How To Become A Volunteer?

To find out how to become a volunteer click here for more information.