Buddle and the Sports Governance Academy

 

Millions of people in England are part of sports clubs and community groups. These organisations account for thousands of jobs, countless hours of volunteering and provide endless opportunities for children, young people and adults to be physically active. To ensure these settings operate as they should, Buddle and the SGA continue their partnership to provide insights, guidance and learning opportunities centred on governance, legal structures and simply put, getting organised! 

An introduction to Buddle

Buddle is a Sport England programme funded by The National Lottery. It’s free to access, and is constantly evolving to provide information, guidance and support for those that need it across our sector. Buddle exists to support the volunteers that keep community physical activity and sport thriving. Making sure that everyone can access opportunities in a safe, inclusive and fun environment. 

Buddle guidance comes in lots of different shapes and sizes:

• Information pages and guidance notes - hosted online and filled with top tips and theory across a range of topics
• Animations and videos - quicker topic deep dives for visual learners
• Case studies - real-life examples of organisations sharing best practice, moments of genius, relatable challenges and more
• News - insight from across the sector and Buddle's partners
• Workshops - in-person and virtual learning opportunities with expert tutors

The Buddle team work across the sector, with many different partners, to challenge what they already know, discuss new and upcoming topics and work with specialists to enhance the guidance provided. This ensures that whatever Buddle produces is timely, beneficial to the grassroots volunteer audience and complementary to other sector resources and insights. 

Buddle topics include:

• Developing and growing your organisation
• Getting help from people
• Safety, welfare and wellbeing
• Being inclusive
• Facilities and spaces
• Getting organised
• Money matters
• Environmental sustainability 

Buddle and the SGA

Buddle have been proud to support the work of the SGA in recent years. The partnership centres around the insight and governance specialisms of the SGA, paired with the content development and stakeholder connections the Buddle team maintain. 

______________________________

“Sport England and Buddle are incredibly proud of the collaboration with SGA, which ensures that the sector benefits from high-quality insight, strong governance practices, and accessible support that helps organisations, clubs and community groups of all sizes and from all places thrive and make a lasting impact through sport and physical activity.” Stephanie Mallender - Buddle Lead, Sport England

______________________________

Buddle seeks to ensure any club or group volunteer can take the SGA’s guidance and apply it to their organisation. As such, the SGA often advise us on important topics, legal requirements and governance news – with this information we’ve produced the following resources for our users:

• Leadership and governance workshop - book on today!
• Exploring legal structures workshop - coming soon, check back here for more information
• Good governance - video and written guidance on the principles of good governance, the Tier 1 governance code and more  
• Legal structures - insights on incorporation, different legal structures and the associated benefits
• Policies and procedures – guidance on governing documents, legal obligations and policies and licences
• Leadership and people – top tips on what makes a good leader, effective meeting and people management and resolving conflict
• Multi-sports clubs – the governance implications of operating multi-sports clubs and why this structure may be a beneficial one 

 

Explore a taste of Buddle’s content with our guidance on good governance:

 

How can you get involved with Buddle?

Using Buddle’s resources couldn’t be easier: simply check out the website, use the search function to find what you’re looking for and share onwards wherever helpful! 

To stay up to date with Buddle content, new information or upcoming opportunities, sign up to our newsletter via our website homepage. If you have any questions or would like more information on Buddle, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email:

Contact us

Fancy a chat? Come and find us at the SGA’s Annual Conference - Setting the Field: Adaptive governance - on 13 November in Leeds.

---

Olivia Warwick is the Content Lead at Buddle