Welcome to the Affiliation Help Centre

Need support with your club affiliation?

This page is here to help clubs to navigate the affiliation process smoothly. Whether you're troubleshooting an issue on VolleyZone, unsure what documents are required, or just have a quick question, you'll find all the guidance and support you need here.

Explore our How to guides, FAQs and contact details below.

EXISTING CLUB? 

Know more about the affiliation renewal process here

NEW CLUB? 

Know more about affiliating with Volleyball England here

How to guides

Frequently Asked Questions

We are a university club participating both in VE competitions as well as BUCS, which club affiliation should we buy?

If your university club participates both in VE competitions as well as BUCS, then you need to buy Standard Club affiliation only

We are a university participating in HEVO program, which club affiliation should we buy?

If your university club participates in any VE competition, then you need to buy standard club affiliation. If your university participates in BUCS but not VE competitions, then you need to buy BUCS club affiliation only. However, if your university neither participates in VE competitions nor BUCS but you are enrolling in HEVO program then you can buy School/FEI club affiliation.

Our club has both adult and junior members, which club affiliation should we buy?

A club with both adult and junior members needs to buy standard club affiliation only.  

What payment methods are available to clubs?

Payment for clubs can be made by debit/credit card (Stripe) on VolleyZone.

Why has my club got a county name in front of it? We don’t have anything to do with them.

The current VolleyZone system is formatted in a hierarchy which means all clubs sit under a county, then under the Region, which then sits under Volleyball England. However, this changes nothing for you club - other than the hierarchy, you are still a separate entity. Not all counties have a volleyball association, so some geographical counties have been added into the hierarchy to make the system work for all. 

Why do we need to share our constitution and safeguarding policy for our club affiliation?

A constitution sets out the purpose and rules of your club. It is the basic document which helps to ensure smooth and proper running of your club.  Further, having a club constitution and policies is one of the main requirements to be eligible to apply for the funding. Through the mandatory upload of these documents, Volleyball England aims to encourage all the clubs to have a constitution and the correct safeguarding policy/ies in place to ensure the long term governance and operational success of the club. More information about what policies are required for your club affiliation can be found here.

Incorporated organisations will need to upload a copy of their Articles of Association rather than a constitution and directors listed on VolleyZone. 

I am looking to set up the registrations for our club, what date do I need to set the package to?

When you complete the set up of the registrations for your club and add in your fees, please make sure the following dates are selected: 

Selling from: the date you are creating the package 

Selling to: 31st July 2025

You do have the option to put the selling to date earlier in the season if required. For example, the last date to purchase an NVL registration is the 1st March 2025. 

How do I add teams to my club?

To add teams to your club, login to your club admin profile here using your username and password. On the home page, navigate to ‘Members/Team Sheets’ > click on ‘Team Roster (list of the players to be selected)’ > on the team roster page, click on ‘+Add’ > follow on-screen instruction to enter the team details in the roster. You should be able to see your team listed under the Team Roster now.

To view our step-by-step guide, click here.

How can I add players to my team?

To add players to the team, follow our step-by-step guide here.

How do I enter a team into an event?

To enter you team into an event, follow our step-by-step guide here.

I am trying to enter a team into a competition and purchase our club affiliation but I am getting an error message, why is this?

As they are under 2 separate event areas on VolleyZone, they will need to be purchased separately. You can enter as many events under 1 basket. Please remember you only need to purchase 1 club affiliation. 

We have completed our club affiliation, where do we get the insurance summary of cover?

Once your club affiliation has been approved by Volleyball England, you will receive a confirmation email which includes where to download the insurance summary of cover.

VE incident reporting form

If an incident, accident or near miss occurs in an activity that is covered by the Volleyball England insurance it is important that you register the incident through the online form here as a record of the details of what took place at this time. It will help to monitor the incidents that typically happen in the sport and ensure you have an official record of what happened and what you did at the time.

What activities is my club, region or county association insured to do?

As affiliated club you are insured when performing Volleyball England recognised and authorised activities.

In addition, the insurance also extends to cover club activities such as social events and fundraisers. If you consider an event to be “out of the ordinary”, you should contact Howden prior to beginning the event. No cover is provided for bouncy castles and trampolines.

What is classed as recognised and authorised activity?

Recognised activity is volleyball related activity that is played under the rules and regulations of volleyball, this includes training and competition at club, regional or country association in recognised formats of indoor, beach, sitting and grass disciplines.


Authorised activity is recognised versions of the game (above) that have been authorised to go ahead by Volleyball England. This is either:
- Official Volleyball England activity organised and /or facilitated by appropriately qualified, Volleyball England appointed person(s).
- Recognised versions of the game organised and facilitated by appropriately qualified person(s) at a registered Regional or Country association in accordance with Volleyball England rules and regulations.
- Recognised versions of the game organised and facilitated by appropriately qualified person(s) at an affiliated club, or a registered league or tournament in accordance with Volleyball England rules and regulations.
- Volleyball England programmes (such as HEVOs) delivered by approved persons/groups* *Organisations/persons that wish to deliver Recognised Volleyball England programmes require Volleyball England approval.


Clubs, regions, and county associations need to ensure they have operating standards for their activity that ensures it is delivered in a safe environment and with adequate supervision. That the operating standards align with the relevant Volleyball England policies and procedures and consider first aid, coaching qualifications, safeguarding and risk assessment.

How do I ensure the recognised and authorised activities are delivered in a safe environment?

Clubs, coaches, and officials should ensure that the environment volleyball is being played in is safe and limits the chance of injury. A risk assessment should be done prior to all sessions and a record of this check should be maintained and kept.

We are an affiliated club and looking to arrange a trip overseas, does our membership include Travel insurance?

No, you will need a separate Travel insurance policy which Howden can provide to you

Are the Regions and County associations covered by Volleyball England insurance?

Region and Counties associations are insured as affiliated associations of Volleyball England, when undertaking Volleyball England recognised and authorised activities.

Are we required to complete risk assessments for our activity?

Yes. It is essential that you undertake risk assessments for the activities of your club, region, or county association to support you in your risk management. You and your club owe a duty of care to those around you: If an allegation of negligence is made against you or your club the risk assessments will be needed to prove what you have reasonably been able to do to prevent an incident occurring.

If I am a committee member of my club, region, or county association. What protection do I get?

As a committee member you may not realise it, but the constitution of your club / association almost certainly makes you personally liable for the liability of your club / association. The directors’ and officers’ section of the policy is designed to protect you in the event of you being personally sued for negligent decisions.

Why do players, clubs, coaches, and officials need professional indemnity insurance?

As a committee member you may not realise it, but the constitution of your club / association almost certainly makes you personally liable for the liability of your club / association. The directors’ and officers’ section of the policy is designed to protect you in the event of you being personally sued for negligent decisions.

Is the club insured to run fitness or strength training sessions?

Yes, volleyball related fitness & strength training is a permitted activity. If training involves specialist equipment or techniques, it is essential the teacher or coach is appropriately qualified.

Is there a policy excess to pay in the event of a claim?

A £250 excess applies to Public Liability and Directors & Officers Liability claims.

As a club member of an affiliated club what insurance am I entitled to?

As a club player, coach or referee registered with an affiliated club you are covered under Personal Accident Insurance while you are involved in recognised and authorised volleyball activities, including direct travel to and from the authorised activity.

Additionally, all individuals above can also access Public Liability insurance for any third-party injury or damage to the property they cause while involved in recognised and authorised Volleyball activities.

We are an affiliated club and are playing away from our usual venue, is our insurance still valid?

Yes, the public liability insurance isn’t specific to a venue. You will need to make for each new venue an assessment of risk is undertaken.

However, if a club is competing in a one off or overseas tournament, cover will respond, however, the club should seek to get a travel insurance as that would not be covered under our insurance.

How does my club, region or county association make a claim?

All incident and claims need to be reported to Donna Goulbourne at Howden on donna.goulbourne@howdengroup.com. claims should be reported as soon as practically possible.

Section 14 – failure to report incidents or circumstances which may give rise to a claim to our insurance brokers may prejudice any potential claim made against you.Please make sure you also complete the Volleyball England Incident report form here. Volleyball England will hold any report on file for XX year. 

When new people come to our club’s sessions, are they insured?

You will be able to offer up to 2 free taster sessions (this is up to the club's discretion if it would be less) before getting the individual to sign up to the club and become a member– however at the start of the taster sessions the club would need to know the following information:

- Full Name
- Any Medical/Disability information
- Emergency contact (name and details)
- Previous playing experience

You would be covered under the club's insurance; however, you would not be eligible for full personal accident insurance until you become a member.

Are Volleyball England registered player insured if they injure a member of public at a venue, if they are operating outside of club regulated activity?

If you are operating outside of a club regulated activity, then you would not be covered by the club's public liability insurance. If, for example, some members of the same club played 5 a side football once a week, the Volleyball England insurance wouldn’t cover any claims as this is outside the controlled club environment.

We have had to modify our equipment, so it is suitable for juniors, are we covered by the club's insurance?

The club would have liability insurance if they have taken all reasonable care to protect their participants. The club needs to undertake a risk assessment, keep a log of equipment maintenance and be confident why the equipment modifications do not conform to Volleyball England guidance.

Is there a requirement to have a first aider available at training sessions?

Volleyball England's requires that affiliated clubs, Regions & Counties assess the risks and take all reasonable care to reduce the harm during activity. It is important that the risk assessment and operating procedures (club rules) include who will provide the first aid provision. Volleyball England guidance is that a qualified coach has an up to date first aid qualification and club members know where the nearest AED is located.

Am I covered under the insurance with a free registration?

If you have completed a free registration, you are only insured if your clubs is affiliated to Volleyball England or if your club is not affiliated to Volleyball England and they have their independent club insurance.

Why do we need to share our constitution for our club affiliation?

A constitution sets out the purpose and rules of your club. It is the basic document which helps to ensure smooth and proper running of your club.  Further, having a club constitution and policies is one of the main requirements to be eligible to apply for the funding. Through the mandatory upload of these documents, Volleyball England aims to encourage all the clubs to have a constitution and the correct policies in place to ensure the long term governance and operational success of the club. More information about what policies are required for your club affiliation can be found here.

Incorporated organisations will need to upload a copy of their Articles of Association rather than a constitution and directors listed on VolleyZone. 

Why do we need a qualified/registered coach for us to be able to affiliate with Volleyball England?

This is to help keep your club safe, inclusive, and deliver quality sessions. Having a qualified coach means they’ve had the right training and meet national standards — so they’re better prepared to support your players’ development and well-being. As per the data, around 79% of safeguarding concerns in volleyball involve coaches, which is why it’s so important that coaches are properly trained and fully understand the responsibility they carry. It’s about making sure everyone in your club feels safe, supported, and able to thrive.

Why do we need a Club Welfare Officer?

A Club Welfare Officer (CWO) helps make sure your club is a safe, welcoming space for everyone. They are the go-to person for any welfare or safeguarding concerns, offering support and making sure your club follows the right policies. Ideally, the CWO should be someone separate from your lead coach and not closely related to other committee members, to keep things fair and impartial. However, if your CWO is also a coach, your club should appoint another committee member who can act as the point of contact if any concerns are raised about the coach. Having a CWO shows your club is serious about creating a positive and protective environment where all members can enjoy the game with confidence.

Not found what you're looking for?

Contact us below: 

For general membership query, write to us at: membership@volleyballengland.org

For VolleyZone related query, write to us at: volleyzone@volleyballengland.org