If you run a sports club or community group, Buddle is one of the best free support services available.
Funded by Sport England, Buddle provides practical advice, tools and guidance to help clubs and organisations become stronger, safer and more inclusive. Whether you're setting up a new club or managing an established organisation, Buddle can help with everything from governance and safeguarding to funding, finance, volunteers, facilities and planning for the future.
That's why Active Humber is proud to be a Buddle Hub.
Every day across the Humber, thousands of volunteers give up their evenings, weekends and spare time to run sports clubs and community organisations. They do it because they care about their communities and want people to have opportunities to be active, make friends and feel they belong. They are the heartbeat of our communities, and they deserve the best support we can offer.
Our role as a Buddle Hub is simple: to make sure every club, community organisation and volunteer across the Humber knows that this free support is available whenever they need it.
Over the last few weeks we've started taking the Buddle Toolkit on tour across the Humber.
Our first stop was the North Lincolnshire Physical Activity Partnership, where we introduced Buddle to members of the local physical activity network. Everyone received a Buddle Pocket Guide and we explored the wide range of support available. We looked at resources covering governance, safeguarding, funding, finance, volunteer development, inclusion, sustainability and long-term planning.
The response was hugely positive.
People quickly realised these aren't just online resources, they're practical tools that make running a club easier and help volunteers feel confident they're doing the right things.
One of the things I like most about Buddle is that it's always evolving. The team regularly develops new resources, delivers training and works with clubs to make sure the support reflects the challenges organisations face today. That means clubs always have access to up-to-date guidance when they need it.
We've also been working with Active Hull, Sport England's Place Partnership for Hull, which immediately recognised the value of Buddle. Together we've agreed it has an important role in helping grassroots clubs become well governed, compliant and ready to grow.
That work has already created new opportunities. Following our sessions with Active Hull, we've been invited to present Buddle to the Hull Physical Activity Network, introducing even more organisations to the support available.
This is only the beginning.
Over the coming months we'll continue working with our Place Partnerships, Active Wellbeing teams within local authorities and organisations across the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. By working together we can make sure more clubs and community groups know where to turn when they need support.
One partnership I'm particularly excited about is with our library services.
Libraries are trusted community spaces where people already go for advice, information and support. I believe they could play an important role in helping local volunteers and community groups discover Buddle and access the resources available. They have strong relationships within their communities and could become fantastic partners in helping us spread the word.
I've already seen the difference Buddle can make.
Altus Running Club contacted Active Humber after experiencing rapid growth. Like many successful clubs, growing quickly brought new responsibilities. Using Buddle, the club reviewed safeguarding, insurance, governance, finance and inclusion. The Buddle Health Check also helped identify ways to become even more inclusive and strengthen how the club operates.
Today the club continues to grow with confidence because it has strong foundations and knows it's providing a safe, welcoming environment for everyone involved. That's exactly what Buddle is about, giving volunteers the confidence to focus on creating great experiences for their members.
That's why we're so passionate about this work.
Every stronger club creates more opportunities for people to be active. Every confident volunteer helps build a stronger community. Every safe, inclusive organisation gives more people the chance to enjoy the benefits of sport and physical activity.
Our ambition is simple: we want every sports club, community organisation and volunteer across the Humber to know that Buddle is there to help and to know where to find it.
We're proud to be part of that journey and committed to helping organisations across the Humber thrive.
To find out more, visit www.buddle.co, where you'll find free resources, practical guidance and helpful tools. You can also watch Buddle's YouTube video below see demonstrations and learn more about the support available.
If you'd like to discuss how Buddle could help your club or community organisation, we'd love to hear from you. Contact Tony Forrester, on tforrester@activehumber.co.uk
Together we can build stronger, safer and more sustainable organisations that help more people enjoy being active.
