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police checks to join a club??? since when have clubs done that?

I guess each individual club is free to set its own rules relating to 'first contact' but always within the rules set by the HO. Our club website makes it clear that persons who are interested in the club's activities should contact the Secretary in the first instance where a time and date for first visit will be arranged.
Club / Home Office requirements regarding membership will be discussed at this first visit and if the visitor is willing, paperwork completed and background checks put in motion. If the visitor is known to and endorsed by other members of the club then all well and good .... but it isn't a mandatory requirement.

Mezzer

visitors / probationary members to our club have to sign a form that says they are not prohibited. I wouldnt think a police check is needed, besides which, with all this stuff about data protection etc, would / could they even tell you anything?

bradaz11 wrote:visitors / probationary members to our club have to sign a form that says they are not prohibited. I wouldnt think a police check is needed, besides which, with all this stuff about data protection etc, would / could they even tell you anything?

If it is a H.O.approved club in addition to prospective members and non FAC holding guests being required to sign a declaration the club is required to inform the police of all applications to join the club, those that have left the club and the reason why, and also the outcome of all applications. You could call this is the police check I suppose.

Obviously non FAC holding guests are in connection with guest days. In addition we normally supply a list of names and addresses of all guests on guest days at least a week (48 hrs is the requirement) before the event.

Hi all, thought I'd post an update to this since I see that my original post sparked somewhat of a discussion.

I contacted the club captain asking if I could come along to an open day and if possible then apply for a probational membership. He informed me that since the club is FAC, the home office does not allow people to come along but new members have to come on certain 'open days'. He recommended that I get someone to 'sponsor' me for the open day.

Since I don't know anyone near where I am currently living who shoots (I recently moved to Wales from London) it means that I am not able to get a sponsor who knows me 'in real life', which is what led me to asking for a sponsor on this forum. DaveT very kindly offered to help me with the process.

It transpires that the club will not allow someone to sponsor me unless they know me personally, meaning that I can't attend the open day (and therefore can't join the club). I've also thought about applying for an FAC first and then applying for membership of a club, but as it turns out you have to be a member of a club before applying for an FAC.

So it seems that I can't join a club because I don't know anyone who shoots and I can't get an FAC unless I'm a member of a club

Go buy DaveT a few beers, do a bit of karaoke. How well do they expect someone to know you? How are you meant to get to know someone who shoots if you can't go shooting?

Join the NRA.

John MH wrote:Join the NRA.

Do they send shooters round to your house then?

No, they are National Shooting Organisation that you can easily join as a probationary member without any previous 'shooting' contacts, you still need a referee of 'good' standing and have to jump through some NRA hoops but it’s probably going to be the easiest way for the OP to get a FAC given his circumstances.

Taha wrote:So it seems that I can't join a club because I don't know anyone who shoots and I can't get an FAC unless I'm a member of a club

Anyone would think these clubs want the sport to die out.

New shooters into the sport is surely a good thing and should be encouraged... There seem to be two types of club - those who actively encourage and foster new membership and growth, and those who prefer it to be the same closed circle of old folks who don't care for strangers and don't care if it it fizzles out in the near future when they pop their clogs or become too infirm to handle a firearm.

Encouraging new members should be a fundamental club principle and condition of affiliation to the national organisations.

Yours,
Frustrated of North Yorks :)

ps my club is ace and we see new faces all the time including a healthy roster of juniors so there.