Club Education Programme
Grant McGregor Club Education Programme
Whether your basketball club is a small, entirely volunteer-run group or a larger, more established organisation with paid staff, the Grant McGregor Club Education Programme is built to support you. Designed for clubs of all sizes and at any stage of development, the programme offers practical, accessible guidance to help you navigate growth, stay compliant, and protect your operations.
Through a series of optional webinars led by industry experts from Club Development Consultancy and Grant McGregor, clubs can pick and choose the sessions that best fit their current needs. The programme covers a wide range of essential topics, including legal structures, charitable obligations, financial management, funding diversification, cyber resilience, and marketing.
More information on the webinars and how to sign up below:
|
Webinar Title |
Date & Time |
Webinar Presenter |
Link to sign up |
|
Choosing the Right Legal Structure for Your Club |
9th November 2026, 6-7pm |
Andrew Jenkin |
|
|
Making the Most of Charitable Status |
16th November 2026, 6-7pm |
Andrew Jenkin |
|
|
Know Your Numbers: Financial Management for Club Committees |
8th February 2027, 6-7pm |
Andrew Jenkin |
To follow |
|
Beyond Subs: Building a Wider Income Base for Your Club |
26th April 2027, 6-7pm |
Andrew Jenkin |
To follow |
|
How to Improve Your Club's Cyber Resilience |
17th May 2027, |
David Lawrence |
To follow |
|
Getting Noticed: Marketing Your Club |
14th June 2027, 6-7pm |
Andrew Jenkin |
To follow |
Webinar 1 - Choosing the Right Legal Structure for Your Club
Date: 9th November 2026, 6pm to 7pm, online
Who it is for: Committee members and volunteers from unincorporated basketball clubs, and clubs thinking about incorporation.
Most basketball clubs in Scotland run as unincorporated associations. For many, that works well. As your club grows, you may take on staff, sign leases or apply for larger grants. At that point, your committee members can carry personal liability for the club's debts and contracts.
This session explains the legal structures open to you and helps you decide whether a change is right for your club. It covers where liability sits in an unincorporated club, the main incorporated options including the SCIO and the company limited by guarantee, and how charitable status and CASC registration differ from legal structure. It also explains the choice between single-tier and two-tier SCIOs, what the OSCR application involves, how to transfer assets and contracts, and the common reasons applications are delayed or rejected.
You will leave with a clear view of your options and the next steps if you decide to proceed.
Webinar 2 - Making the Most of Charitable Status
Date: 16th November 2026, 6pm to 7pm, online
Who it is for: Trustees, treasurers and committee members of basketball clubs registered as charities with OSCR.
Charitable status brings tax reliefs and funding opportunities. It also brings legal duties for your trustees. This session shows you how to meet your obligations and claim what your club is entitled to.
It covers trustee duties, OSCR annual reporting and the changes you must notify OSCR about. It explains how Gift Aid works on donations and membership fees, and why you cannot claim it on coaching or playing fees. It also covers the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme, which lets you claim on cash donations of £30 or less, up to £8,000 a year. The session finishes with rates relief and the rules on trading income.
You will leave with a practical checklist to review your club's compliance and identify income you may be missing.
Webinar 3 - Know Your Numbers: Financial Management for Club Committees
Date: 8th February 2027, 6pm to 7pm, online
Who it is for: Treasurers, chairs and committee members, including those new to a finance role.
Good financial records protect your club and your volunteers. They also make grant applications and annual reporting easier. This session covers the basics every committee should have in place.
It covers how to set an annual budget, break it into monthly or quarterly figures, and compare actual income and spending against it. It explains why a surplus on paper does not guarantee enough cash in the bank, and how a cash-flow forecast helps you spot shortfalls early. It also covers financial controls such as two signatories, monthly bank reconciliations and an expenses policy, and how to set a reserves policy and a sinking fund for future equipment costs.
You will leave knowing what your committee should review at each meeting and how to keep your records ready for funders and regulators.
Webinar 4 - Beyond Subs: Building a Wider Income Base for Your Club
Date: 26th April 2027, 6pm to 7pm, online
Who it is for: Committee members, treasurers and fundraising volunteers at any basketball club.
Most clubs rely on membership fees and one or two grants. If one of those drops, your club feels it straight away. This session shows you how to spread your income across more sources so you are less exposed.
It covers how to find grant funders whose outcomes match your club's work, and what funders look for in an application. It explains fundraising options such as events, regular-giving lotteries and crowdfunding, including the rules on running a club lottery and the platform fees you need to build into a crowdfunding target. It also shows you how to put together a sponsorship package that gives local businesses clear value, and how to track what each activity costs against what it raises.
You will leave with a list of income options to test with your committee and a clear view of which ones suit your club.
Webinar 5 - How to Improve Your Club's Cyber Resilience
Date: 17th May 2027, 6pm to 7pm, online
Who it is for: Committee members, coaches, staff and volunteers who access club systems, email accounts or member information.
Basketball clubs rely on technology for everything from communicating with members to managing payments and storing personal information. A cyber attack could compromise that information, disrupt club activities or lock you out of important systems.
This session explains the cyber threats clubs may face and how you can better protect your club. You'll learn about phishing, malware, ransomware and the tactics attackers use to catch people out. The session covers stronger passwords, secure accounts, software updates and access controls. We'll then turn to the role your people play in recognising suspicious activity and knowing when to stop and check.
You will leave better equipped to identify where your club could be exposed and strengthen the protection around your people, systems and information.
Webinar 6 - Getting Noticed: Marketing Your Club
Date: 14th June 2027, 6pm to 7pm, online
Who it is for: Committee members, social media volunteers and anyone responsible for recruiting players, coaches, volunteers or sponsors.
Many clubs post regularly but still struggle to fill sessions or attract sponsors. The usual cause is a lack of focus on who the club is trying to reach. This session gives you a simple four-step process: what you are offering, who it is for, how you reach them, and how you review the results.
It covers how to define one clear offer for each campaign, such as a new junior session or a sponsorship package. It explains how to build a profile of your target audience and choose the channels they use, from social media to local press and partners. It also shows you how to measure results, such as new members, event attendance or sponsor income, so you know what to repeat and what to drop.
You will leave with a simple plan for your club's next campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who can attend the Grant McGregor Club Education Programme webinars?
The sessions are open to all committee members, staff, volunteers, and coaches from Basketball Scotland affiliated clubs.
Do we need to attend all six webinars?
No. The programme is completely flexible - clubs can register for individual sessions that align with their specific priorities or choose to attend the entire series.
Is there any cost to attend?
No. Thanks to the sponsorship and support of Grant McGregor, all six webinars are completely free of charge for affiliated clubs.
Will recordings or materials be made available after each session?
Yes. Presentation slides and session recordings will be shared with registered delegates and uploaded to the Basketball Scotland website for future reference.
If you have any additional questions, please reach out to Michael Haddow at michael.haddow@basketball.scot
