Committee

The role of a chairperson is to oversee the running of the club and ensure that it is run efficiently and managed appropriately. They lead meetings and provide leadership in all areas.

Duties of the chairperson include:

• To provide direction for the club by effective leadership and management 

• To chair and control meetings of the management committee 

• To act as principal officer within the club, and make decisions whenever the need arises, in consultation with other officers when appropriate 

• To represent the club at external meetings when required 

• To be involved, where appropriate, in the coordination of club activities 

• To manage and oversee the work of officers and other club personnel 

• To lead the AGM

• To determine the content and agenda for club meetings,

• To ensure that club statutory documents and other returns are administered and filed on time 

• To advise the treasurer on the use and investment of club funds  

The Club Captain’s role is to oversee the general running of the Club. Key responsibilities are:

• Deputise for chair as and when appropriate

• Take a leading role in the club affairs and development

• Ensure all club sections are performing and communicating 

• Provide support to captains where required to with dispute resolution and decisions around team selection and player management 

• Raise awareness of opportunities for volunteers and volunteering within the club 

• Maintain and take responsibility for driving the club forward. Items for consideration could include: Different ways to play, introductions of new roles into the club, partnership arrangements, member feedback on club direction

The primary role of the club secretary is to provide administrative support to the club committee.

Below are some of the tasks undertaken by the Secretary 

Meetings

• Circulate details of meetings (time, location, agenda etc.) to club members

• Take minutes and circulate to meeting attendees

• Follow-up with relevant parties on key actions arising from meetings

Club Correspondence & Communication

• Initiating and responding to or forwarding all club correspondence 

• Filing all club correspondence (incoming & outgoing)

General Administration

• Handling club insurance and related paperwork (e.g. filing of injury claims)

• Ensure that the club has public liability insurance 

• Booking pitch hire

• Dealing with with club affiliations e.g. England Hockey annual affiliation process

• Liaise with leagues etc as required.

The treasurer is responsible for the financial well being of the club and is expected to have a good understanding of financial procedures and budgeting. Some of the duties and responsibilities may include:

• Managing the club’s income and expenditure

• Producing an end of year financial report

• Regularly reporting back to the club committee on all financial matters

• Efficient payment of invoices and bills

• Depositing cash and cheques that the club receives

• Keeping up to date financial records, reviewing accounts monthly

• At the start of the season, keeping track of annual subs paid

• During the season, weekly checks of match fees and checking these off on the team spreadsheets

The key responsibilities of this role are to help arrange all the Club’s games and umpires. The main responsibilities of this role are:

• Share fixtures with committee when these are received from the league (usually mid-July)

• Organising & booking pitches for home games

• Organising umpires for all home matches for all teams 

• Inform Captains of their appointed umpire for matches

• Help organise summer hockey fixtures

The key role of the Publicity Secretary is to help promote the Club in the local community and help drive new membership. The main responsibilities The key responsibilities of this role are to promote the  Club in the local community and help drive new membership. The main responsibilities are:

• Oversee the management of the club’s social media accounts.

• Monitor and update Club Facebook page and Instagram account (e.g. weekly Club results) – ideally posting once a week after the club games

• Issue press releases associated with the club and liaise with the media.

• Ensure season’s fixtures and pitches are on the website

• Identify all appropriate club news and add to the website

• Help other committee members to publicise events

• Collate weekly match reports and send to Kent Messenger

The role of the welfare officers include:

• Assist the club to fulfil its responsibilities to safeguard children and vulnerable adults at club level

• The first point of contact for everyone where concerns about a child's or vulnerable adult’s welfare, poor practice or abuse are identified

• Represent welfare on the club’s management committee

• Ensure adherence to the club’s safeguarding children training

• Ensure all those who need to undergo DBS checks do so

• Be the first point of contact with England hockey’s child welfare officer 

• Implement England Hockey’s & club’s reporting and recording procedures

• Keep record of relevant certificates 

• Promote England hockey’s best practice guidance/code of ethics and behaviour within the club 

For this role, the person or people standing should be:

• Be approachable and empathetic 

• Be tactful and discreet

• Have good listening and communication skills

• Be able to resolve conflict

This role is responsible for engaging with local communities focusing on young people. The role will typically involve speaking with local school and youth groups and providing opportunities to experience the sport of hockey. 

The key role of the Team Captain is to lead the team, help them to improve and push them to win games. The main responsibilities of the Team Captain are:

Pre-season

• Participate in the selection committee for organising players into teams.

• Create a team WhatsApp group for the season

• Ensure first aid kits are complete

• Work with the committee to ensure all club forms are completed and policies are accepted.

Pre match

• Gather availabilities for games and teas via team WhatsApp, two weeks in advance

• Organise players each week, working with the Club Captain and other Team Captains to organise player selection every week.

• Complete the Captains spreadsheets each week with player availability, this enables the treasurer to match payments

• Ensure the GMS system is completed

• Organise teas for home and away games.For the 2023/34 season captains will need to liaise with Tina on this.

• Ensure all players pay their match fees every week prior to the game, 

Match day

• Take ownership of the team and their behaviour when on the pitch. In particular if there’s ever any issues with the umpires or opposition

• Meet with umpires immediately before the game for the “toss”

• Manage substitutions

• Assign a person for completion of the match report

• Ensure first-aid kits are fully stocked and taken to every game

• Ensure a ‘match ball’ is available for home games

Post match 

• Update GMS with score 

• Follow-up with any players who have not paid match fees

• Forward match reports to the Social Media & PR officer.

• Gather Player of Match votes at the end of every game

Post season

• Organise summer friendly games with other Team Captains and Fixtures Secretary.

• Nominations of awards in collaboration with the committee

• Prepare a team report for the AGM and End of Season event

• Close WhatsApp team chat at the end of the season

• Gather player availability for next season

Team Captains may, and are encouraged, to delegate to vice captains on any of these responsibilities.

The key role of the Social Secretary is to organise social events for Club members. The main responsibilities of the Social secretary are:

• Work with the committee to organise fundraising events

• Organise end of season and Christmas events

• Organise ‘social days’ throughout the year, for example a summer outing, family days etc.

• Help drive revenue for the Club through events