Starting a new club

So you want to start a new club – kudos to you! LUCA is here to support you along the way. Our mission is to develop clubs and support the emergence of new clubs across London.

Here’s some things you should consider when starting a new club. The following points are not necessarily in sequential order.

1) Put together a committee & constitution

Don’t worry about elections at this stage, just try and find other students who want to create a club too. If you’re alone, post in university facebook groups asking if anyone else is interested. Put up posters, ask other clubs, do what it takes to get more people involved.

At minimum, you can survive with a president and treasurer, but ideally you’ll also want event-group-specific captains (distance, sprints, field), a social secretary and welfare officer. Other roles may include;

-Social media sec.
-Social running capt.
-Vice-President
-Charity officer

Once you’ve got your group, it’s time to write your constitution. A template is at RunMyClub.

2) Talk to your student union

They can offer you a lot. Not just money, but advice and practical support. You really need to be affiliated with the student union ASAP.

3) Decide on your training offer

What is it that you want to offer? Running? Cross-Country? Track and field? All of the above? Be ambitious but realistic. A big club is a great aim, but will take planning and may not be realised in the first year.

4) Make the best use of partnerships

Chances are that there is another club close by. Whether it’s a community club or university club, it’s worth speaking to them to see what partnerships could be created. The majority of LUCA clubs have partnerships with local athletics clubs which provide the bulk of their coached sessions.

5) Affiliate with LUCA

Join us! There are lots of fantastic benefits.

6) Budget

Hopefully, your SU has given you some money. The other major source of income is membership fees. You’ll need to budget for the year ahead to make sure you live within your means. Check our our budget template on RunMyClub and the list of LUCA fees here.

7) Get on social media

Create a club instagram, twitter and facebook page. You may also want a facebook group for members to communicate easier.

8) Host a welcome event and freshers stall

You need to be at freshers fair. Recruiting members at freshers is essential. Have a cool event lined up for the first ‘welcome event’ to promote your club. Examples of events include;

-School sports day
-Scavenger hunt
-Beer mile
-Run and picnic/bbq/pub
-Taster session (15m on each event, shot, jav, sprint..etc.)