The Club Has Gained Snowmark Accreditation

Reporter: Alan Brown

The Ski Club of Manchester is only the fourth ski club in the country to gain Snowmark Accreditation from Snowsport England!

‘Wow,’ I hear you cry, ‘Er....what does that mean...?’

For starters it gives us a discount for the Ski Fit sessions at George Carnell, which means we may actually break even for this activity this season! Wisecracks aside, Snowmark is an indication to the wider public that we are a well-run club that is going places and has plans for a successful future. What great publicity!

It all began three years ago when SCoM attended a presentation at George Carnell on Traffordmark, a local, non sport-specific equivalent to the nationally recognised Snowmark. We realised that SCoM met all the requirements of Traffordmark and that by gaining Traffordmark we could access local help and support for the revitalisation the club was in desperate need of. Member numbers were stagnating and the average age was creeping up so the long- term future was looking bleak.

Trafford’s Jenny Burton and Snowsport England’s Jan Doyle have been hugely supportive in the initial Traffordmark accreditation process and the conversion to Snowmark. Jan came to the AGM last month to present us with our certificates and has signed on the dotted line herself. Welcome to the club, Jan!

Because SCoM has demonstrated that it meets Snowsport England’s standards for member participation, safeguarding and protecting children, equity and club management, our newly-elevated status gives us greater credibility with other organisations.

We have already benefited from preferential rates at George Carnell and gained greater exposure through the Ski Club of Great Britain for our activities, which has led to new members. Most recently we have been offered a club discount card with Blacks/Millets. There’s also an increased possibility of obtaining development grants to help us recruit more members. A win-win situation all round, we hope you agree.

Last but not least we hope that this achievement will encourage you to support the committee’s efforts to keep the club vibrant and healthy and perhaps get involved yourself in some small way from time to time.

An additional comment from SCoM’s Chair, Ian Harford:

For the last five years the Committee has been discussing initiatives and activities that will raise the profile of SCoM and bring in new and younger members. The completion of the Chill Factor^e slope in 2007 gave us an important boost and showed SCoM as a Club with energy, enthusiasm and a sense of direction. But the backroom unseen work done to achieve the Snowmark accreditation has been equally important in establishing SCoM with partners and should not be underestimated. I am sure all members of the Club will want to join with me in thanking our long serving Committee members, Alan Brown and Barry Lewis for all the work they have done to achieve the Snowmark and help put SCoM on the map.