The Club Affiliation process was introduced in 2020 by Swim England (previously known as Stronger Affiliation) so new and existing members know clubs are well run and their personnel have the necessary safeguarding checks in place to ensure members’ safety.
SwimMark has been paused since 1st November 2024.
For any club seeking affiliation the following six pieces of evidence need to be provided and approved annually
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Plan
- Club Constitution – ensure club constitution has been checked by the region within the last 4 years and is from a Swim England Model Constitution
- Welfare Officer statement of compliance – signed statement of compliance by the Welfare officer stating the club is being run in accordance with WavePower guidelines.
- Club Chair statement of compliance – signed statement of compliance that the club is following Swim England Code of Ethics and has role descriptions within the club.
- Risk Assessments – provide Risk Assessments relevant to the activities of your club.
- Club Personnel Record – Use Club Personnel Report (i.e. information must be downloaded from OMS, the Online Membership System) for all club personnel including coaches/teachers.
Failure to meet this new minimum standard of compliance will result in a club being suspended temporarily or permanently .
If you require any assistance with your Club Affiliation submission please email [email protected]
Funding opportunities for accredited clubs
By making sure your club runs in accordance with Good Governance, you are more likely to be successful when applying for funding opportunities. Take a look at the funding page for more information.
Uploading of safeguarding certificates
From January 1 2024, the national governing body will only accept Swim England Safeguarding training for those working within our clubs, counties and regions as part of our commitment set out in the Heart of Aquatics
If you have valid safeguarding training from before this date that is not on your Swim England record, please contact [email protected]
Club Affiliation Information Session
The sessions are run on a regular basis by Swim England for anyone who needs further information or support with their Club Affiliation process.
Club documents
A useful document for clubs is the Guide to the Affiliation portal. This will give you access to the portal where you will find templates and further guidance for the evidence that is required.
If you require access to the Portal for your Club Affiliation submission please email [email protected]
