The Meads Squash Club, based at Milford Haven Leisure Centre, has been awarded the Bronze Charter by their governing body, Wales Squash and Racketball.
The award was presented at Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff to head coach Peter Crook by SWRB director of coaching and development, Mike Workman.
The charter awards play an important role in recognising good practice within clubs, and to achieve the award, clubs have to be running good policies and procedures for both adults and juniors, which include coach insurance.
All personnel in direct contact with children must be DBS checked and have undergone a ‘safe guarding of children and young adults’ course, they must provide coaching and opportunities for completion for both adult and juniors alike.
Close partnership with The Meads
As with many squash clubs playing within leisure centre facilities, the club has been working in partnership with Milford Leisure Centre for the last three years to offer coaching opportunities for both juniors and adults, it is a win/win situation for both parties; the clubs provide qualified coaches to run the sessions whilst the leisure centre can offer these sessions to their members or as ‘pay and play’ to the general public - the biggest benefit for the club is it helps maintain the sustainability of the sport.
Peter Crook told us:
“We have grown the club over the last three years and have a strong junior and adult base, plus some some fantastic individual and team results on court.
“I see the charter award scheme as an integral part of our club growing because it ensures we keep our finger on the pulse as far as our procedures, and is a great way of ensuring we don’t becoming complacent in any area, so that as well as the athletes striving to become better players the awards give the club goals for self-improvement.
“This can only ultimately benefit those using our services and I am sure the silver award will be achieved in the not too distant future.”