The first thing a new club will want to do is recruit members. Some of this recruitment happens of its own accord once you’re set up as a club, but at the beginning it's vital that you are pro-active. A useful starting point can be one/some of these:

• word-of-mouth from family, friends or other potential members;
• placing an advert or notice in the local paper;
• placing adverts in the sports/leisure centre;
• placing adverts in the local school(s)/college(s);
• placing adverts in the local library;
• advertising in the local youth club;
• local businesses’ notice boards.

Once you’re set up, a steady influx of new members helps to keep your club vibrant and forward-looking.  As well as increasing the numbers to play with and creating more club teams, getting new and younger members will make sure that you are building a strong participation base for the next generation of players. 

It’s always useful to discover how your existing members found out about the club so you know how to attract more members in the future, either because that route works well, or because you've identified a gap in your publicity.

Many local sports clubs find that a large proportion of their new members are recruited by existing members.  You might want to consider running a campaign to "Bring a Friend" or arrange a "Open Night" to boost local interest. 

On the right hand side, you will find templates for a simple membership form, junior membership form and a parental consent form.