What are our membership fees spent on?
The membership fee is only part of the funding the asa receives which includes income from our award scheme and government funding for agreed projects and outcomes. The money is spent on achieving its primary aims:
· To ensure everyone has an opportunity to learn to swim;
· To ensure everyone can achieve his or her personal goals;
· To ensure everyone has the opportunity to enjoy swimming as part of a healthy lifestyle;
· To ensure that we achieve gold medal success.
To achieve these aims the asa has launched many initiatives and strategies from the grass roots up to elite programmes in all disciplines. The asa are always striving for better and more accessible facilities and each year sees an increase in competitive and training facilities available to all.
The asa is constantly working with government in improving the opportunity for all children to learn to swim whilst at school.
The Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) programme assisted the development of athletes to achieve podium success and Swim 21 accreditation allows us to maintain a high standard of teaching and coaching.
The asa alongside UKCC also provide a nationally recognised and comprehensive structure for teacher and coaching development through our qualifications and Continued Professional Development courses.
The asa also employ Talent Development Officers and we have Regional Managers to help and advise clubs on relevant strategies.
Whilst Regional and County development is funded primarily from the Regional and County fees, financial support is provided to the Regions by the asa national budget and details of initiatives that they are working towards can be found on their websites.
The asa is currently looking at a programme of additional members benefits including hotel deals and online discounts for a variety of products.
Benefits of Membership
The primary benefit of membership is the insurance cover for individual members and clubs which includes Civil Liability, Personal Accident and Legal Advice.
In addition there is also the knowledge that you are part of a well regulated and governed body that is always developing initiatives to move the sport forward.
Within clubs, members benefit from advice and guidance relating to good practice, legal & child protection issues. They can access the training, licensing and Continued Professional Development for teachers and coaches along with other club related initiatives such as Swim 21 and AASE.
The asa employ staff that can help a club and its members achieve their full potential, through our Business Team, our Regional Development Team and our Customer Service Team.
Competitive members benefit from a structured competitive pathway from open competitions through County, Regional and National Championships in all disciplines, and in some cases leading to international representation at junior and senior level.
The licensing of competitions allows the Association to regulate these events and include competitors on the National Rankings database allowing their competitive progress to be monitored year on year.
Source: Club Update (ASA Membership Services) Issue 6; November 2008