The OurClubs.org Platform
A sophisticated platform built on Microsoft Azure architecture.
The OurClubs platform was built to serve the community giving administrative tools to organisers and social media tools to all those involved. One of the overriding philosophy behind the platform was privacy and safeguarding. Before building any new functionality we always started with this!
The strong safeguarding controls built into the platform meant it was ideal for youth groups, giving their members a safe digital platform to communicate with their friends and engage in the digital aspects of their clubs and groups. OurClubs wasn’t just about administration, but attempted to look past that to communication and collaboration.
01 Home Page Join Club
02 Home Page Request Sent
What made OurClubs so excellent!
A talented team based in the UK and India working in collaboration…
The Founder, operational team, and UAT were UK based whilst the developers were located in Hyderabad the technology centre of India.
Platform conceptualisation and specification was documented by the UK team and then communicated to the developers in India who then put the ideas into action.
This rules based platform was complex and required a bespoke backend to be developed using Microsoft technologies. Collaboration on such a project over such distance requires a highly professional project approach where an ability to communicate is key. The team excelled and produced a high quality solution!
Technology
Using the latest Microsoft technologies to provide a secure & innovative solution.
For Members TOO
Looking past administration and into engagement and communication.
Evidencing Outcomes
Giving organisations the tools to demonstrate their effectiveness & increase support for growth.
Building innovative solutions
We are developing solutions around, infrastructure, digital payments & messaging for a positive impact.
Social Media and Collaboration
How to bring together your members and engage with them!
One of the benefits of a tool such as OurClubs with both its social tools as well as its administration ones is that the platform becomes adopted more quickly. You don’t just have a few key organisers using the platform but instead a greater number of your members want to get involved from the outset and therefore adoption happens at a faster pace.
Blogs
Any members of OurClubs can post blogs. Blogs posted at National Governing Body or Regional level will filter down to the connected clubs so grassroots members can get involved in the conversation.
Albums
These are collections of files can be uploaded into Albums, they can be either be images, PDF, or other MS Office type files. Descriptions, narratives and tags can be added to individual files.
Conversations
Start a conversation, posted direct to the relevant pages News Reel and are intended to be quick and brief topics, such as “The pitches are really dry today, wear trainers not studs”!
Events
Post events to your page including full details of schedules, time and location, allow RSVP’s, sell tickets, add documents, start a conversation and share!
Activities
List and activity for club members, add a register, and send payment requests for session fees.
Bookmarks
Share a relevant website with your club members and friends.
Questions
Ask a question or create a poll, start getting your members input and participation!
Newsletters
Organisers can write attractive newsletters which can be circulated via email to all their members, as well as those who support the club but who might not use the OurClubs platform.
Plus real-time Chat!
Quickly open the real-time chat tool..to chat with your friends and create groups.
We’ve also integrated the highly innovative what3words which can show your location down to a 3m by 3m square anywhere on the globe, and then associate a three word combination. If your trying to meet up with friends at a concert or large event you can copy your what3word location and message it to your friends. Also fantastic in times of emergency when you can’t use a postcode!
Real-time Chat
Integrated what3words
Safeguarding
Strong controls are built in…
With all the various social and administrative tools its important that all users are safe. Privacy settings are simple and defaults are always set at their most secure.
There is no third party advertising allowed, therefore we do not mine personal data to target advertising, and young people are not exposed to inappropriate advertising.
Https, UK secure data-centre, segregation of access to data held by OurClubs (the OurClubs admin team can only access data that is relevant to their roles).
Organisers remain in control over what social tools can be used, who can use them, if comments are allowed and if posts should be removed.
Linked Accounts
Parents of under 13’s can create a Linked Account for their child, provides parental oversight whilst enabling participation.
Friend Codes
These can only be requested if two people are members of the same club or a “Friend Code” is exchanged. A person cannot search for any user of the site & then request a friend link, therefore protecting users from unwanted requests for contact.
Club Pages
Membership approval, age limits, public/private posting.
Alias
Displayed when posting to “public” content (organiser can still identify member).
National Governing Bodies
Improve communication and demonstrate outcomes
The OurClubs architecture has been built to include a tool called ClubConnect which allows senior administrators at Governing Bodies to build hierarchical structures of regial bodies, clubs and groups.
Once structures have been built data can flow up and down the heirarchy to both improve communication from top down and also agreggate performance data from bottom up.
The ClubConnect tool also allows for horizontal connections to be made between bodies or clubs to allow collaboration on projects.
Where we are now
The current position of OurClubs development
Although it has been recognised by several of the large youth organisations that there is a need for a solution such as OurClubs the appitite to fund it isn’t quite there yet. Youth organisations realise that they should be engaging with young people via digital platforms. They can’t be seen to endorse using platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram since they are highly innapropriate, but unfortunately many turn a blind eye to what is happening at local level and you will find many youth groups using these platforms, often with privacy settings set as far too open!
We have an advanced test version, but we are currently looking for partners to help us continue our development and launch the site in to live where is can begin to bring value to communities.
If you are interested in learning more about the OurClubs platform or need such a solution to be used as a closed site for your organisation please do get in touch, we’ll be more than happy to discuss!
About the Platform
OurClubs.org platform is a high quality secure solution with bespoke architecture
Designed and built by THE topbamboo team. a high quality professionally built solution.
Our Team can do anything you can think of!
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