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Pre-planning
Club grounds or training venues may be adequate or neighbouring sports clubs may be willing to open up their facilities. If you wish to use council owned parks or open spaces please refer to the ‘Parks and Open Spaces’ section for further information.
It may be useful to draw up a site plan to ensure the area meets the event’s requirements. Consider crowd capacity when selecting the venue and whether the venue is accessible for people with disabilities, for wheelchair users and for parents with pushchairs.
Accessibility to your event should take into consideration not only the main event area but also accessibility to toilets, cafes and car parks.
Organisers must take into account safety factors such as entrance and exit routes for the number of people the event will attract and the procedure for emergency evacuation.
An essential tool for identifying and preventing potential safety risks is a to carry out a full Risk Assessment. See the Health and Safety section for more information on carrying out risk assessments and other Health and Safety considerations.
Avoid clashes with similar events and be aware of school and public holidays. Dates of school holidays in Derbyshire can be found on the Derbyshire County Council website.
Leave plenty of time for planning the event, Arts Derbyshire recommends four months of planning for small events and six to 12 months for larger events over one hundred people. You can find a checklist for each stage of the planning process on the Templates page.
Planning
During the planning phase the committee should devise a contingency plan. This could cover factors such as providing umbrellas or having some indoor provision in case of bad weather.
Ensure you keep a record of all bookings and correspondence.
Car parking must be sufficient for those attending the event. For large scale events logistics such as congestion at entrances and exits and marshals should be considered.
The police can offer advice about car parking for large events. Parking for disabled people should be marked out and you may want to consider reserving spaces for VIPs, performers and staff.
Other important considerations when selecting your venue include:
- Gates – do they open wide enough for vehicles and equipment to access the area? Are gates locked? Do you have contact details for the key holder?
- Pedestrians and vehicles need to be separated, this could be achieved by using barriers or limiting vehicles access times
- If needed, are gas and electricity supplies available?
- Remember council owned parks are public spaces, therefore you must make sure the area is safe and free from dangerous objects before the event. This should be covered in your Risk Assessment, which can be found on the health and safety page.
- Be aware of seasonal changes in use of parks. For example, in the summer months football pitches may not have goal posts set up and the grass on pitches is unlikely to be cut
Committees
A committee should be set up when organising an event to share the responsibility amongst members and ensure accountability.
Many external funders will insist on a committee as it adds credibility to an application. It should be noted that many external funders will not contribute money to a fundraising event.
CVS can provide training on committee roles as can the Club Development Officer, who can be emailed at sportdevelopment@south-derbys.gov.uk, in the council’s Sport and Youth Development Team
Possible committee roles include:
Chairperson
To call and lead meetings and to ensure committee members understand their roles and responsibilities.
- Enthusiastic
- Well organised
- Prepared to make a regular time commitment
- Prepared to make instant decisions when necessary
Confident at some public speaking and keeping order during meetings.
Treasurer
Keep up-to-date financial records, pay bills, produce and monitor budget.
- Well organised
- Able to keep records
- Confident about handling figures and money
- Honest
- Prepared to make a regular time commitment
Secretary
Deal with correspondence, prepare agenda, take minutes during meetings and distribute information after meetings.
- Good management skills
- Confident and effective communicator
- Great administrative skills
- Well organised and conscientious.
Fundraiser
Identify suitable funding streams, organise fundraising events.
- Confident and effective communicator
- Creative and innovative
- Enthusiastic and a good motivator
- An appropriate spokesperson for your club or organisation.
Marketing Officer
Establish links with local press and arrange press releases/photo calls when needed. Able to promote events.
- Enthusiastic
- Well organised
- Prepared to make a regular time commitment
- Confident and imaginative
page ref: SDDC 391
