The UKBGF recently announced its new initiative to bring together backgammon organisers through its system of training and accreditation. A flurry of applications has been received from around the country, and already 11 organisers have completed their training and received accreditation. A further 10 applications are in progress, and more will be joining through July and August. The AO scheme is led by UKBGF Board member Simon Hopper, whose professional background is in higher education.
He said: “I couldn’t be more pleased. Not only have we received more than 20 applications, but these also reflect the range of experience within the community. For example, we have seasoned directors of national tournaments join the scheme, as well as club organisers who often work on their own with little or no access to support.”
Organisers who have successfully completed the programme include: Martin Barkwill, Peter Bennet, Keith Gill, Matthew Guy, Kevin Jones, Simon Morecroft, Dave Sanders, Andrew Selby, Peter Snape, Gerald Whitehouse, and Rosemary Whitehouse.
Applicants are given access to a specialist learning platform called Moodle, and work through a series of topics before taking a quiz on each to demonstrate familiarity and understanding of the know-how covered in each section. The material covers: Running a club/ tournament, Rules, Etiquette, Competition Formats and Management, Ratings and the UKBGF Tour.
The AO scheme has set itself some defined objectives:
- To formally recognise the efforts and skill of accredited organisers.
- To document the “know how” of how to organise and run high quality backgammon events.
- To provide accredited organisers with an online forum to share best practice with each other.
- To provide new and aspiring organisers with training, support and mentorship from experienced UKBGF accredited organisers.
- To improve the quality of organised backgammon events for the benefit of its members, and players generally.
The forum has just been launched and provides AOs with a platform to share resources and support one another. A few examples of topics and resources that our AOs are currently discussing include:
- Press releases that have been successful in gaining publicity for clubs
- Formats that work well for club nights, and club competitions to be run for a season
- Spreadsheets used in the running of a club or tournament
Accredited organisers receive a certificate (AO Cert ) on completion of their training and will also receive a gift pack comprising UKBGF branded items to help support their activities.
Full details of the AO scheme and who it is suitable for is here Accredited Organiser (AO) – UKBGF. If you are a club or tournament organiser, or would like support in starting out as an organiser, you can register your interest in accreditation here: Accredited Organiser (AO) Scheme: Register – UKBGF
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