Clyde Judo Club has become the first club in 2026 to achieve JudoMARK accreditation status since the scheme was updated in 2024.
The JudoMARK club accreditation scheme recognises clubs that are committed to upholding the highest standards in Safeguarding and Wellbeing, People Development, Club Management and Governance. As the national governing body for judo in Scotland, JudoScotland is dedicated to supporting affiliated clubs to further develop systems, processes and workforce by providing the guidance and resources needed to create safe, well-run environments where judo can thrive.
Reflecting on the process of obtaining JudoMARK status, Clyde Judo Club Secretary and Coach Paul Grady said:
“We had a bit of a headstart because we had done it before under the old scheme, however a lot of that was on pieces of paper so by taking some of that and using it as a template was useful. It was quite an involved process for a lot of people at the club.”
The biggest change for us was to actually have written documentation that is designed and written with what we do in mind and written for us, rather than just be a generic off-the-shelf policy. Having defined role descriptors for our Committee Members was a big deal and because we are also going through the process of making the club a registered charity, JudoMARK helped a lot with that process too as we had a lot of the paperwork now in place that we needed for that application.”
Becoming accredited is not only beneficial in establishing trust among members and parents, it also serves as a signpost to external stakeholders as a mark of the club’s commitment to ensuring everyone’s safety and professionalism. Paul highlighted this saying:
“It was important for us to do JudoMARK because although we had done it before, we are one of the bigger clubs in the area so it was important for us to have this in place and it’s a good marking tool for us. It aligns with what we want to do when it comes to engaging with the community sports hubs and Active Schools, it’s always good to go through processes like this because it highlights little things that maybe we didn’t have in place so it’s a worthwhile exercise to go through for that if nothing else.”
The JudoMARK accreditation scheme offers clubs a valuable opportunity to review and strengthen key aspects of their club infrastructure, ensuring these priorities remain central to day-to-day operations
The club was presented with their JudoMARK certification this week by Club Support Officer Sam Ingram. Speaking about the club’s journey to achieving JudoMARK status Sam said:
“Clyde Judo Club has been through a period of change over the past few months, most notably they have secured a new dojo after their last facility had to close at short notice. We are pleased to see that Clyde Judo have managed to overcome difficult circumstances and have continued to deliver judo to their members with little disruption, they have committed a lot of time and effort to the development of their club and achieving the JudoMARK accreditation is part of that.”
We hope to see more clubs in 2026 begin and complete the JudoMARK process as we continue to work together ensuring that judo clubs throughout the country are safe and welcoming environments where everyone can thrive and enjoy taking part in judo.”
To learn more about JudoMARK and to find out how your club can get involved click here.