Partners working together

Colne Badminton club is a badminton club that been formed for many years and has played in the East Lancashire League.

Training and matches are held at Pendle Leisure Centre, Albert Road, Colne BB8 0BP.

Although the club has been very successful over the years the junior section of the club was very small and the future of the young players in taking the club forward in years to come became a concern. It was not through lack of encouragement from the club it was lack of awareness amongst young people.

Approximately 2 years ago prospects and the future of the club started to take a step forward with the introduction of the PL4S project, a very pro active local Pendle leisure trust club development manager Joe Cooney and the backing of the Schools sport partnership and local Partnership development manager Neil Stewart, a very active BADMINTON England Regional development officer Julie Kelly and last but not least very supportive club members and committee.  It was like a jigsaw if all partners did there bit the jigsaw would be complete and an outcome would be achieved. None would have believed that within 18 months the club would become the first in East Lancashire and be awarded the Premier Club Status and achieve Club Mark.

Below is a little information on what these are awards are. Premier Club is BADMINTON England’s Clubmark standard for junior clubs or clubs with junior sections and is awarded to proven high quality badminton clubs.  Premier status means that clubs ensure the well being of young people, whilst inspiring them to enjoy sport and build a healthy and active lifestyle.  They encourage young people to optimize their talents and support the development of the most talented.  

Clubmark is a cross-sport quality accreditation for junior clubs or clubs with junior sections.  Premier Club is BADMINTON England’s Club mark standard. It is vital that clubs serve young people well. Badminton clubs that work with children and young people need and deserve support to improve the quality of work they do so that together we can:

• Ensure the well-being of young people whilst in the care of adults, other than their legal parent(s)/carer(s) 
• Enthuse young people to enjoy sport and active recreation to build a healthy and active lifestyle
• Enable young people to use their leisure time creatively
• Allow young people to optimize their talents and personal ability
• Identify and support the development of the most talented young people

The assistance Blackburn Rovers Pl4S project offered the club was with the help of this project we enabled junior badminton satellite clubs to be formed in the local area around were the main Colne club trains. Coaches from the club visited these clubs on a regular basis and encouraged young people to attend the main club. The Pl4S funding also assisted in skilling up club members in Level one badminton, to help coach the young members, helps towards the very expensive facility hire, first aid, Child Protection courses all of which are required for the awards achieved.  

Since gaining the awards the club is moving forward in the junior section, they now have a very experienced coach Andy Tatum who is an ex-England badminton Player deliver the satellite and the club PL4S coaching sessions and through the club securing funding from Sport England they have now set up gifted and talented weekly badminton sessions of which Andy coaches. Young people are highlighted from the local community and sign posted to these sessions. 

Though PL4S Blackburn Rovers Community Trust has played a very small part in helping the club achieve this magnificent award the credit has also got to go to the above mentioned partners.

Tuesday 9th December was reward day as a small presentation with very partners was organized for the official hand over of the award.