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The Buddle team work closely with the Sports Governance Academy to ensure grassroots clubs and community groups have access to correct and comprehensive guidance on governance.

We recently produced a blog for the Sports Governance Academy to outline our partnership and ongoing commitment to good governance; you can read it on the Sports Governance Academy’s website.

Below is a blog, written by Craig Beeston, programme manager for the Sports Governance Academy, about their further support, learnings and community.

Sports Governance Academy logo, featuring three circles and the text 'Championing governance'.

What's the SGA?

The Sports Governance Academy (SGA) is the governance support hub for the sport and physical activity sector.

We champion good governance because we are passionate about the role it plays in enabling the success of individual organisations and the sector as a whole. 

The SGA launched in 2020 as a partnership between The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland, Sport England and UK Sport. In November 2022, the SGA expanded to be a UK-wide one-stop-shop for governance support.

For us, governance shouldn’t be seen as a burden. We try to demystify governance and help organisations to respond effectively to growing governance challenges and to achieve their goals in a responsible, sustainable and inclusive way. 

Everything we offer is free to the sector. We want to inspire and support our community to develop the skills and confidence to put good governance practice into action in their organisations. 

Who’s the SGA for?

Our content and services are designed to meet the needs of everyone who has an interest in improving the way their organisation operates, whether they’re a community volunteer, governance professional, or chief executive. 

We know that the sport and physical activity sector is broad, with a range of organisation types, complexities and levels of resource.

We also know that we can’t – and shouldn’t – try to support the whole sector by ourselves. That’s why we work with Buddle and other organisations across the sector to co-ordinate and share ideas, so we can share information on governance and reach different audiences.

What does the SGA offer?

The SGA offers support through three areas:

Resources

We produce trusted guidance and provide information on the latest governance news, thinking and best practice:

Learning

We provide a range of opportunities for members of the SGA community, to support them and their organisations. These include:  

  • Training – both knowledge and skills-based courses, equipping you to take governance forward
  • Webinars – accessible content on core topics and topical issues
  • Certification – offering free places on the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland’s Certificate in Sports Governance
  • Annual conference – our yearly event takes place both online and in person, offering insights and networking opportunities.

Community

Governance can sometimes feel like a lonely place. With the SGA community, support can be a click, an email or a phone call away. We bring together people who are facing similar governance challenges and successes, through:

  • Networking events – in-person and online, to share knowledge, experience and learning
  • The Huddle – an online community platform where you can ask questions, share thoughts and best practice, discuss issues in the sector and connect with peers
  • The SGA Awards – recognising and celebrating fantastic work happening across sports governance.

“Just being able to have a conversation with somebody else who works in governance is amazing because they’ve probably gone through the same challenge in the same way or a very similar way.”

Want to get involved?

Why not join our vibrant community and get stuck into our resources, events and training?

Take a closer look at how the SGA can support you throughout your governance progression with our interactive SGA Roadmap tool. And register via our website for updates and to access all our free content.