Advice- starting a club for youngsters

I have been into cycling all of my life. I want to start putting back a bit and wish to start an off road section of my club and take kids (teens ) to a local country park where there is a mountain bike track that is perfect for learning skills . Amazingly all of my friends tell me that I would need CRB check and I could be on the hook for personal liability if anyone had an accident whilst in my charge , with an insurance broker I know who tells me I could have to pay several thousand pounds in premiums to cover myself.

Does anyone here have any experience or knowledge of starting such a venture and if so, what is the truth/ what did you do to limit the potential for being sued ?

( I should explain that my club is pretty small and mainly consists of older roadies,these days so our experience of kids is limited).

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It's a DBS check nowadays and is about free for this sort of thing
https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-s ... k/overview

You don't need it as far as I know, but it is well worth having for everyone involved in it.
Covers your back where children are involved.

Liability insurance is to cover your back, perhaps look at running under a bigger flag of British Cycling.
Not looked but they cover you etc as far as I know.

Of course you could wing it and continue in the good old fashioned way, there is no law against it.

I'd look to hiring PE teachers if you don't have any background in that sort of thing yourself.

I would talk to Cycling UK (was CTC) and British Cycling. They can give a huge amount of support and also provide some seed funding often. They will also be able to help with finding other volunteers.

hamster":1pl2pm02 said:

I would talk to Cycling UK (was CTC) and British Cycling. They can give a huge amount of support and also provide some seed funding often. They will also be able to help with finding other volunteers.

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+1 to that. You can also affiliate yourself to cycling UK which brings benefits like liability insurance etc

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FluffyChicken":3biv5o41 said:

It's a DBS check nowadays and is about free for this sort of thing
https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-s ... k/overview

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difficult to get one as an individual working alone. You need to get an organisation (eg school, hospital etc) to request one for you. If they are willing to do it, there is a cost.

Bats":oweugusm said:

I'd look to hiring PE teachers if you don't have any background in that sort of thing yourself.

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teachers already have a massive workload. Plus PE teachers usually organise/attend weekend fixtures. And they know little about cycling - there is mechanics, techniques etc.

Plus hire at what rate? At full qualified teachers rate, that'll be a hefty expense

hamster":1aiqnji4 said:

I would talk to Cycling UK (was CTC) and British Cycling. They can give a huge amount of support and also provide some seed funding often. They will also be able to help with finding other volunteers.

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British cycling will have a schools development officer or something for each region. I know Yorkshire do.

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pigman":1g15mg0r said:

FluffyChicken":1g15mg0r said:

It's a DBS check nowadays and is about free for this sort of thing
https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-s ... k/overview

Click to expand...

difficult to get one as an individual working alone. You need to get an organisation (eg school, hospital etc) to request one for you. If they are willing to do it, there is a cost.

Click to expand...

It's a club, the club will have some sort of setup or need one.

Volunteers are free, assuming they are volunteering and they tick the box.
But that's why I gave the link, just call them and ask what and if it's needed and how a club can get them.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/dbs-check-r ... plications


As also mentioned British Cycling, they have a lot of info. https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/safeguarding

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interesting stuff. Thanks to all for your comments.